Champions League Last 16 Second Legs Part One

The elongated last 16 round of the Champions League saw the first four spots in the last eight confirmed in midweek with the remaining spots to be filled in the second part of the round next week.

Tuesday night saw Real Madrid continue their charge to an 11th title as they hosted AS Roma, the La Liga side went into the second leg with a 2-0 lead from the opening game. The sides played out a goalless first half before the hosts kicked into gear with two goals in the space of four minutes after the hour mark. Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring on 64 minutes before James Rodriguez wrapped up a 2-0 win on 68 minutes to complete a 4-0 rout on aggregate.

The night's other tie saw Wolfsburg host KAA Gent with the Germans holding a 3-2 advantage from the first leg leaving the Belgians with a big task to overcome three away goals. However, such a task was made harder by the fact that the game remained at 0-0 long into the second half. The hosts confirmed their place in the last eight with a 74th minute winner from André Schurrle to complete a 4-2 aggregate success.

Wednesday night began with Zenit St Petersburg hosting Benfica looking to overturn a 1-0 deficit from the first leg in Portugal. The sides played out a goalless first half with the equality continuing past the hour mark until the Russians levelled the tie at 1-1 with a 69th minute opener from Hulk. Gaitan levelled for 1-1 on the night and put the visitors 2-1 ahead overall with five minutes to go before Conceicao wrapped up a 2-1 win and 3-1 aggregate success in added time.

Chelsea played host to perennial Ligue 1 champions Paris St Germain looking to overturn a 2-1 deficit from the first leg and become the first English side to reach the last eight. The visitors extended their aggregate lead to 3-1 inside 16 minutes as Rabiot put them ahead on the night. Chelsea responded on 27 minutes through Diego Costa but were unable to level the tie before Zlatan Ibrahimovic sealed a 2-1 win and 4-2 success on aggregate in the 67th minute.

Foxes Safe on Top While Reds Late Show Denies Palace

After finally catching up with my results from previous weeks, along came gameweek 29 in the Premier League as the season began to journey towards the final straight. An exciting weekend saw seven sides score two or more while just four claimed a shut-out.

The weekend began with possibly the most important North London derby in the league's existence as Tottenham Hotspur hosted fellow title challengers Arsenal at White Hart Lane.  The Gunners opened the scoring with six minutes left of the first half as Aaron Ramsey struck before a triple blow for the visitors in a seven minute period. Francis Coquelin was sent off on 55 minutes before goal from Toby Alderweireld and Harry Kane on 60 and 62 minutes put Spurs 2-1 ahead. However, the points would be shared after Alexis Sanchez sealed a 2-2 draw with a 78th minute leveller.

The first of six 3pm games saw Chelsea host Stoke City at Stamford Bridge with the Blues looking move into the top half of the table for the first time since the first third of the season. Their hopes were boosted just before half time as Bertrand Traore continued his scoring streak with the opener on 39 minutes. However, Stoke salvaged a point late in the second half as Mama Biram Diouf fired in an 85th minute leveller for 1-1.

Everton hosted West Ham United at Goodison Park with the Toffees keen to move into the top half while the Hammers still had their hopes of reaching the top four. The Blues got off to a great start as Aaron Lennon opened the scoring on 13 minutes but suffered a blow on 34 minutes with the dismissal of Kevin Mirallas. Despite their numerical disadvantage, Everton doubled their lead through Romelu Lukaku on 56 minutes before a superb Hammers double in the space of three minutes made it 2-2.

Michail Antonio continued his scoring streak in the 78th minute before an equaliser from Diafra Sakho on 81 minutes. The comeback was completed late on as Dmitri Payet sealed a 3-2 win for the Hammers in added time.

Manchester City looked to bounce back from their midweek defeat at Anfield as they hosted bottom side Aston Villa at the Etihad Stadium. A tight first half saw the sides remain level at 0-0 but Villa were soon in big trouble as City fired in a quartet of goals in an 18 minute period. Yaya Toure got them off the mark three minutes after the restart before a ten minute brace from Sergio Aguero made it 3-0. The rout was completed on 66 minutes as Raheem Sterling made it 4-0.

Relegation battlers Newcastle United hosted Bournemouth with the Cherries knowing that a win at St James' Park would put them close to safety from the drop zone. An early boost for the visitors came on 28 minutes as Steven Taylor hit into his own net for 1-0. The Magpies did well to keep the deficit to a single goal but were unable to draw level before a second for the Cherries came on 70 minutes through Joshua King. Ayoze Perez cut the gap to 2-1 on 80 minutes before the win was sealed for the visitors in added time through Charlie Daniels for 3-1.

Southampton hosted Sunderland at St Mary's Stadium looking to close on the European places while the visitors were keen to move out of the drop zone. The game proved to be a tight one despite the sides differing league positions before a double boost came for the visitors with the dismissal of Jose Fonte on 79 minutes followed by Jermain Defoe's 85th minute opener. However,the ten man Saints did well to claim a point with Virgil Van Dijk salvaging a 1-1 draw in added time.

In a battle at the bottom end of the table, Swansea City hosted fellow strugglers Norwich City with the Swans knowing that a win would open up a huge gap between them and the bottom four. The win they craved came via a single goal as Gylfi Sigurdsson sealed a 1-0 win with a strike in the 61st minute.

Saturday's evening game saw Watford hosting table toppers Leicester City with the Foxes having the chance to open up a five point lead at the top. The game was settled by a single goal in the second half as Riyad Mahrez sealed a 1-0 win that leaves the Foxes in a superb position at the top of the league.

Super Sunday began with Crystal Palace's hosting of Liverpool with the Eagles hoping to extend their hoodoo over the Reds with the 2014's title dent the most famous in recent seasons.

The sides played out a tight and goalless first half before Joe Ledley put the Eagles ahead within three minutes of the restart. The Reds suffered a further blow with the dismissal of James Milner on 62 minutes but they battled back into the game with ten men as Roberto Firmino levelled on 72 minutes. The game was settled deep into added time with the Reds earning penalty which substitute Christian Benteke tucked away to claim a 2-1 win.

The final game of the weekend saw West Bromwich Albion host Manchester United with the Baggies looking to close on the top half and the Red Devils hoping to keep in the top four battle. United suffered a blow midway through the first half with Juan Mata being dismissed on 26 minutes before the Baggies took advantage of the extra man on 66 minutes. The winning goal came from Salomon Rondon who piled more pressure on the United manager Louis Van Gaal with the 1-0 win.

Domestic Catch Up

A busy week has meant a delay in the reviews and images so a catch up features just images of results from the last two gameweeks of the Premier League and the Capital One Cup final outcome.

English Trio Seal Europa Extension

In a busy fortnight for action both domestic and European, the Europa League second legs took place on Thursday night with the three English sides all with work to to do to seal a place in the next stage.

The action began on Wednesday night as Sporting Braga hosted FC Sion with the visitors looking to overturn a 2-1 deficit from the first leg. The Swiss side levelled the tie at 2-2 with the opening goal from Gekas on 16 minutes before being pegged back on the night by a 27th minute penalty from Josué who put Braga 3-2 ahead overall. Gekas struck his second just two minutes later to put Sion 2-1 up and levelled on aggregate but the crucial strike came on 48 minutes as Stojiljovic levelled the game at 2-2 but in doing so sealed a 4-2 aggregate victory for the Portuguese side.

Lokomotiv Moscow hosted Fenerbache in the first of the remaining ties on Thursday night with the visitors taking a 2-0 lead to the Russians after the first leg. Lokomotiv cut the gap on aggregate with a an opening goal on 46 minutes through Samedov but were unable to level overall across the half. The Turks confirmed their spot in the next stage on 83 minutes as Topal made it 1-1 on the night while sealing a 3-1 win on aggregate.

Athletic Bilbao played hosts to Olympique Marseille who looked to overturn a 1-0 deficit from the first leg. The visitors' pursuit to draw level in the tie came just before half-time as they opened the scoring on the night on 40 minutes through Batshuayi to level overall. However, they were denied the chance for extra time as the hosts levelled on the night with nine minutes left courtesy of an effort from Zulonga whose strike sealed a 2-1 aggregate success.

Bayer Leverkusen hosted Sporting Lisbon hoping to build on a 1-0 advantage from the first leg and they doubled the aggregate lead inside the first half an hour through Bellarabi before Eduardo levelled on the night and cut the overall score to 2-1. Bellarabi made it 2-1 on the night and 3-1 overall with his second strike on 65 minutes before Calhanoglu completed a 3-1 success and 4-1 aggregate rout in the 87th minute.

Schalke 04 hosted Shakthar Donetsk with both sides going into the second leg level after a goalless first leg. The Ukrainians opened the scoring on the night in the 26th minute through Bonfim before Ferreyra doubled the lead just after the hour mark. The winners of the tie and the spot in the next round were confirmed on 77 minutes as Kovalenko made it 3-0.

Krasnodar had a 1-0 deficit from the first leg to overturn as they hosted Sparta Prague and the Czechs took until six minutes after half-time to add to their aggregate lead as Marecek opened the scoring on the night.  Frydek doubled the advantage on the night before the hosts suffered two blows in as many minutes with the 68th minute dismissal of Kaporé followed by a third goal for Sparta from Fatai who in making it 3-0 completed a 4-0 rout on aggregate.

Lazio hosted Galatasaray with the sides level at 1-1 after a tight first leg and the tightness between the sides continued in a goalless first half in the second leg. The deadlock was broke on 59 minutes as the hosts took the lead through Parolo before rapid second from Gomes made it 2-0 on the night and 3-1 overall. The visitors pulled one back instantly via Oztekin but the tie was sealed on 72 minutes as Klose completed a 3-1 win and 4-1 success on aggregate.

Liverpool hosted FC Augsburg having drawn the first leg 0-0 in Germany and they made a stunning start to the second leg at Anfield as James Milner opened the scoring inside five minutes with a well taken penalty. The Germans battled to try and level the score and the tie itself but to no avail as the Reds held on to claim a narrow 1-0 aggregate success.

Rapid Vienna hosted Valencia with a huge task on the hands as they looked to overturn a 4-0 deficit from the first leg. They kept out the Catalans in the first half but were unable to reduced the aggregate deficit. Valencia extended their lead in the tie with a double either side of the hour mark from Rodrigo and Feghouli to make it 8-0 on aggregate. The Austrians were finished off by two further goals on 72 and 88 minutes as Piatti and Nunes Vezo completed a 4-0 rout on the night and a stunning 10-0 win on aggregate.

Basel hosted St Etienne hoping to overturn a 3-2 deficit from the first leg in France and got off to a good start with an opener from Zuffi inside 15 minutes to level the tie at 3-3.The Swiss side remained ahead on the night long into the second half and their chance of forcing extra time was boosted by the dismissal of Eysseric on 82 minutes before losing Embolo to a sending off within two minutes. Sall levelled on the night and put the visitors all but into the next stage in the 89th minute but their joy was soured by Zuffi's second in added time to seal a 2-1 win and 4-4 aggregate score with them winning on away goals.

FC Porto hosted Borussia Dortmund looking to overturn a 2-0 deficit from the first leg in Germany and in a tight game second leg, just one goal proved to be enough to settle the tie. An own goal on 23 minutes from Porto 'keeper Iker Casillas sealed a 1-0 win for Dortmund and 3-0 success on aggregate.

Manchester United hosted FC Midtjlland hoping to overturn a 2-1 deficit from the first leg while the Danes had their eyes on a famous double over the Red Devils. The visitors opened the scoring on 27 minutes as Sisto struck to open up a 3-1 lead overall but an own goal from Bodurov made it 3-2 overall on 32 minutes. A rapid double from United debutant Marcus Rashford on 63 and 75 minutes put the hosts 3-1 up on the night and 4-3 ahead on aggregate. Ander Herrera looked to have sealed the tie with an 87th minute penalty before two further blow for the Danes saw Romer dismissed ahead of a strike from Memphis Depay who confirmed a 5-1 win and 6-3 aggregate success.

Molde FK had the tough task of overturning a 3-0 first leg defeat against defending champions Sevilla. The hosts struck an opening goal in the 43rd minute through Helstad to cut the aggregate gap to 3-1 which was how the score remained until the end. They had secured a 1-0 win on the night lost 3-1 on aggregate as Sevilla moved a step further to defending their title.

Napoli hosted Villarreal looking to overturn a narrow 1-0 deficit from the first leg and they made a good start by levelling the tie with an opening goal inside 17 minutes through Marek Hamsik. Pina levelled on the night for the visitors on 59 minutes with his effort enough to wrap up a 2-1 aggregate success.


Olympiakos had a narrow 1-0 deficit to overturn as they hosted Anderlecht and they took just 29 minutes of the second leg to draw level in the tie with the opening goal seeing Fortounis convert from the penalty spot. The sides remained level at 1-1 on aggregate until the end of the 90 minutes forcing extra time and the Belgians secured a double success as Acheampong scored in the 103rd and 111th minutes to complete a 2-1 win and 3-1 aggregate victory.

The final game of the round saw Tottenham Hotspur host Fiorentina with Spurs looking to build on a 1-1 draw from the first leg. They started the game well with Ryan Mason giving them an aggregate  lead on 25 minutes before Erik Lamela made it 2-0 on the night and 3-1 overall in the 63rd minute. Fiorentina were out of the tie as a contest with nine minutes remaining as Rodriguez scored an own goal to seal a 3-0 win for the hosts and complete a trio of successes for the English sides with a 4-1 aggregate success.

Champions League Last 16 First Leg Results

Europa League Last 32 First Leg Results

FA Cup Fifth Round Review

The FA Cup continued this weekend with the fifth round with the remaining 16 sides all competing for a place in the sixth round which would put them just one win from a Wembley semi final. The eight ties took place over three days from Feb 20th-22nd.

Opening the round on Saturday was the rematch of the 2013 final between Arsenal and Championship leaders Hull City with the Tigers keen to end the Gunners long winning streak in the competition. Both sides made sweeping changes from their midweek games but a tight game saw the sides draw 0-0 with the prospective replay more welcome for the visitors than Arsenal who have another addition to their hectic schedule.

The two 3pm games saw a face-off between Championship and top flight sides starting with Reading hosting West Bromwich Albion at the Madjeski Stadium. A close run first half saw the sides remain level into the interval before a 54th minute strike from Darren Fletcher put the Baggies 1-0 ahead. McShane levelled for the Royals within five minutes before Hector put the hosts in front in the 72nd minute. The hosts sealed an upset late on as Lucas Piazon completed a 3-1 success to send them into the sixth round.

Watford hosted Leeds United at Vicarage Road looking to extend an already fine cup run while the visitors hoped to boost a mixed domestic season so far. The sides played out a goalless first half before Watford went ahead in the 53rd minute with an own goal from Wooton and the strike proved to be enough to secure a 1-0 win and send them into the next round.

The evening kick-off saw an all top flight battle between Bournemouth and Everton with both sides hoping to continue recent good runs of form as they faced off at the Vitality Stadium. A close first half saw the sides remain goalless before the Toffees struck an opener in the 55th minute through Ross Barkley. Everton were two goals to the good on 76 minutes as Romelu Lukaku ended a barren run in front of goal to make it 2-0 and seal a spot in the sixth round.

Sunday's early game saw Championship side Blackburn Rovers host top flight West Ham United hoping to stage an upset against the in-form Hammers at Ewood Park. Their pursuit of such an upset started well with Ben Marshall giving them a 1-0 lead inside 20 minutes. The Hammers fought back with a leveller from Victor Moses on 26 minutes before going ahead through Dmitri Payet's 36th minute effort. Rovers were dealt a blow on 55 minutes with the dismissal of Taylor and the Hammers took full advantage by making 3-1 through Emmanuel Emenike on 64 minutes before Cheikou Kouyake was sent off with 15 minutes left. Despite being back on level terms numbers wise, West Ham wrapped up a 5-1 rout with second strikes for Emenike and Payet in the 85th and 90th minutes

The first of two top flight battles on Sunday afternoon saw a London derby between Tottenham and Crystal Palace at White Hart Lane. A tight first half looked to be ending goalless but Palace had other ideas as they struck an opener in added time through Martin Kelly. The strike proved to be crucial as the Eagles held on for a 1-0 win that boosted a poor run of form in recent weeks.

Chelsea hosted Manchester City at Stamford Bridge looking to keep up their best hope of a trophy this season after a midweek European defeat while City looked to continue their pursuit of a quadruple. City made an array of changes from their last game while the hosts fielded a fairly strong starting 11. The opening goal came on 35 minutes as Diego Costa put the hosts ahead but a quick reply from City saw David Faupala level within two minutes.

However, Chelsea struck twice within five minutes of the half-time break to take control at 3-1 as Willian fired in on 48 minutes before Gary Cahill's 53rd minute effort and Eden Hazard made it 4-1 on 67 minutes. The rout was completed late on as Bertrand Traore continued his scoring streak on 89 minutes for 5-1.

The final game of the round saw League One side Shrewsbury Town host top flight Manchester United at Greenhous Meadow hoping to stage a huge upset against a United side in poor form. The Shrews did well in the first half to keep the visitors on level terms but suffered a double blow in the final part of the half as Chris Smalling and Jesse Lingard fired United 2-0 ahead with efforts in the 37th and 45th minutes. The tie was over as a contest just after the hour mark as Juan Mata sealed a 3-0 win in the 61st minute.