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.

Foxes Gap Cut While Reds Humiliate Villa

Alike my other blogs this week, this week's review is a late one so rather than write up results that are 'out of date' it is just the images this week.

FA Cup Fourth Round Replays Review

After a fairly straightforward set of results in the FA Cup fourth round saw no real surprises, there were only two ties forced into a replays with the duo taking place on the 9th/10th Feb.

Tuesday 9th saw West Ham United host Liverpool for the right to face Blackburn Rovers in the fifth round. Both sides fielded mixed sides not too dissimilar to the original tie but this time around there were goals to be had as the Hammers struck an opener just before the interval. Michail Antonio fired in for 1-0 in added time before his effort was cancelled out within three minutes of the restart as Philippe Coutinho swept in a superb free-kick to level at 1-1. The sides remained level until the end of the 90 minutes forcing extra time but with penalties looming for the sides, Angelo Ogbonna headed in to seal a 2-1 win for the hosts and dump the Reds out of the competition.

Wednesday 10th saw League One side Peterborough United host top flight West Bromwich Albion with the plum tie of Reading away awaiting the winners. A tight first half saw the sides remain level past the half-time break before Jon Taylor gave the hosts a surprise lead in the 55th minute. Darren Fletcher fired in a superb equaliser in the 71st minute which let to the sides playing extra time but that failed to separate them. The resulting penalty shoot-out saw two misses from Peterborough which was enough to give the Baggies a win at 4-3.

Foxes Five Clear While Reds Held By Black Cats

The Premier League season seems to be flying by with the first two thirds of the season now complete after gameweek 25 this weekend. A low scoring programme saw just six sides score two or more while just six teams claimed a shut-out.

Saturday's early kick-off saw a battle at the top as title hopefuls Manchester City hosted current league leaders Leicester City at the Etihad Stadium with the Foxes having the chance to open up a five point.gap with a win. Their pursuit of success started with rapid pace as Robert Huth fired them in front inside three minutes and they were in control just three minutes into the second half as the in-form Riyad Mahrez doubled the lead in style. City's day got even worse on the hour mark as Huth headed the Foxes into a stunning 3-0 lead.A perfect afternoon for the table toppers was only dented by an 87th minute strike from Sergio Aguero for 3-1.

In the first of six 3pm games, Aston Villa hosted fellow strugglers Norwich City at Villa Park looking to secure only their third win of the season while the Canaries hoped to end a run of four defeats. The sides looked to be heading into the half-time break on level terms after a tight first 45 minutes but Villa struck in the final seconds as Joleon Lescott put them 1-0 ahead. The Villa faithful had cause to celebrate again just six minutes after the restart as Gabriel Agbonlahor ended a long scoring drought to make it 2-0. Norwich battled to try and cut the deficit but were left to rue on missed chances and slip to a firth loss in a row while Villa cut the gap to safety.

Liverpool hosted struggling Sunderland at Anfield looking to bounce back from their midweek defeat while the Black Cats hoped to close the gap to safety. The build-up to the game included talk of a protest from the home fans in the 77th minute in reference to the reveal of next year's price rises to £77 in the main stand.

The sides remained level into the half-time interval before two goals in 11 minutes either side of the hour put the Reds in control at 2-0 as Roberto Firmino fired in on 59 minutes before a 70th minute effort from Adam Lallana. The proposed protest saw thousands of home fans walk out on 77 minutes and they missed a capitulation from their side as Adam Johnson made it 2-1 on 82 minutes before Jermain Defoe salvaged a 2-2 draw with a minute left of the 90.

Newcastle United hosted West Bromwich Albion at St James Park knowing a win would move them out of the bottom three while the Baggies had the chance to close on the top ten with a victory. The Magpies opened the scoring in the 32nd minute as Aleksandar Mitrovic made it 1-0 and the single goal proved to be enough to secure all three points and move them out of the drop zone.

Stoke City hosted Everton at the Britannia Stadium looking to close on the top half with a first win in four games while the Toffees hoped secure back-to-back wins. The Potters suffered an early blow as they conceded a penalty in the 11th minute which Romelu Lukaku slotted in to open the scoring and the visitors were two goals to the good in the 28th minute as Seamus Coleman out them in control at 2-0. The points were wrapped up just before half-time as Aaron Lennon made it three goals in as many games in the 42nd minute for 3-0.

Swansea City welcomed Crystal Palace to the Liberty Stadium hoping to extend their gap above the bottom three with a win while the Eagles had their eyes on a place in the top half.  Gylfi Sigurdsson put the Swans ahead after just 13 minutes but the visitors drew level just two minutes after half-time as Scott Dann made it two goals in the space of a week as he salvaged a point in a 1-1 draw.

High flying Tottenham Hotspur hosted Watford at White Hart Lane looking to move into second spot while the Hornets looked to remain unbeaten for a third game in a row. The sides played out a tight first half which ended goalless and the score remained 0-0 until just after the hour mark when Kieran Trippier sealed all three points with a 64th minute winner to claim a 1-0 success.

The evening kick-off saw Southampton host West Ham United at St Mary's Stadium with both sides hoping to close up on the top five with a win. The Saints started superbly by taking the lead inside nine minutes with a rare strike from Maya Yoshida before suffering blow nine minutes into the second half with the dismissal of Victor Wanyama. The Hammers battled to draw level but despite having an extra man for over half an hour they were unable to avoid a 1-0 defeat.

Super Sunday began with Bournemouth's hosting of Arsenal at the Vitality Stadium with the Cherries looking to claim back-to-back wins while the Gunners had the chance to move level with Spurs in second. The Cherries were hit by two goals in as many minutes after the 20 minute mark as Mesut Ozil opened the scoring in the 23rd minute before Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain made it 2-0 within a minute. The Cherries battled to cut the deficit and came close in the second half but were unable to avoid a defeat that left them just five points clear of the drop zone.

The final game of the weekend saw Chelsea host Manchester United at Stamford Bridge with the sides sitting 13th and fifth, a long way from the traditional title challenge that comes with this game. The sides remained level into the half-time interval before United struck an opener just after the hour mark as Jesse Lingard made it 1-0 on 61 minutes. Chelsea left it late to salvage a draw with Diego Costa levelling in the first minute of added time to claim a 1-1 draw.