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Tuchel: 'Too emotional' to deliver post-match analysis to Chelsea players after 5-2 West Brom disaster

The German saw the first defeat of his reign in charge at Stamford Bridge in a madcap seven-goal encounter as the Blues were bested by the Baggies

Thomas Tuchel has admitted that he is "too emotional" to pick over the bones of a maiden loss as Chelsea manager, after the former Paris Saint-Germain boss saw his side thumped 5-2 by West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.

The German suffered the first defeat of his reign in charge at Stamford Bridge in a madcap seven-goal encounter that saw the Blues reduced to 10 men in the first-half against the relegation-threatened Baggies.

Thiago Silva was sent off on his return to the side from injury while Mason Mount's second-half strike was not enough to galvanise the hosts against Sam Allardyce's determined visitors, and Tuchel acknowledged that he will need time to process the result before addressing his concerns.

What did Tuchel say?

"It will be a hard afternoon for everybody I think, a hard evening," the 47-year-old told his post-match press conference. "We were the first to start this matchday and we had completely different plans, so we have to accept it now.

"It is our first loss together. It is important to find a way to deal with it together, and that everyone knows what I feel as a part of it.

"There were some quick words to calm everybody down and to delay the talks until tomorrow because now it is too emotional, [there] is too much frustration. It is not productive."

Tuchel on team selection

In-form England pair Mason Mount and Ben Chilwell, fresh from duty with the Three Lions, were both benched ahead of kick-off while the veteran Silva was fast-tracked back into the starting XI on what proved to be a disastrous day for the Brazilian.

Mount was duly summoned to replace Christian Pulisic at the interval and gave the hosts a glimmer of hope of salvaging a result. Tuchel acknowledged that the blame lies with him in his ultimate selection, though he stood by his decision.

"You never know what would have happened if you chose differently," he added. "This is my responsibility, we are very disappointed because we hate to lose.

"[I] went for this selection because of an excellent training session yesterday. I trusted this line-up and I think the line-up was strong enough now in this game.

"We were rusty, we were sloppy in the build-up in our own half, and made many, many unforced errors. We didn't adapt our positions under pressure. We gave away easy ball losses that led in the end to a red card, and that cost us the game today.

"There is absolutely no need to concede five goals if you're one man down with our quality. But our defending was not of the quality it should be. It is now hard to accept but there is no other solution than to accept it and to move forward."

The bigger picture

Having gone unbeaten in his first 14 games since succeeding Frank Lampard - a run that has seen Chelsea advance to both the Champions League quarter-finals and strengthen their top four credentials - Tuchel's first defeat could prove to be a costly one.

It means the Blues are unable to stretch their lead over fifth-place West Ham - and with just a two-point advantage, leaves the door for David Moyes' side to leapfrog them into fourth, having played one game less.

Tuchel, however, will be determined to deliver an immediate response when his side resume their European adventures on Wednesday, when they travel to face Porto in the first leg of their last-eight tie.

Further reading

Express FC 3-1 URA: Ten-man hosts reduce gap to Vipers SC after convincing victory

Express FC 3-1 URA: Ten-man hosts reduce gap to Vipers SC after convincing victory

Police FC also claimed a 3-0 win away to Kyetume to ensure they remained in the top-five bracket

Ten-man Express FC have defeated Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) FC 3-1 in the Ugandan Premier League at Mutesa II Wankulukuku Stadium, Kampala on Saturday.

An Erick Kambale brace and Godfrey Lwesibawa's strike were enough for the now third-placed hosts to reduce the gap between them and leaders Vipers SC to just a point. Stephen Mukwala scored the consolation for the visitors.

The Red Eagles needed just 10 minutes to score their first goal. Charles Musiige was allowed space on the wing and he spotted Lwesibawa in a good position. He crossed the ball towards him and the latter rose highest to head home the opener.

In the 18th minute, the six-time league champions doubled their advantage. The Taxmen conceded a free-kick which was taken by Martin Kizza and the unmarked Kambale had no problem heading the ball to the back of the net.

Express continued to push for more goals as their visitors struggled to get it right in the first half.

They were rewarded in the 37th minute when Kizza was fouled in the danger zone, and the referee awarded them a penalty. Kambale stepped up and did not make a mistake from 12-yards to ensure the hosts went to the break with a 3-0 lead.

The Red Eagles were reduced to 10 men in the 54th minute after defender Murushid Juuko made a second bookable offense. 

Five minutes later, URA won a penalty after a foul was committed in the danger zone and Uganda international forward Mukwala stepped up to reduce the deficit.

Despite increasing their tempo, the Tax Collectors failed to get another goal and the hosts bagged maximum points. 

In another league assignment played at Fufa Technical Centre in Njeru, Kyetume fell 3-0 to Police FC.

Muhamood Hassan scored the Cops' first goal after 11 minutes and ensured the Abdallah Mubiru-led charges lead 1-0 at half-time.

After the pause, Ben Ocen converted from the penalty spot to make it 2-0 in favour of the former champions. The third goal came with five minutes to go from Brian Mayanha, who scored from the penalty as well. 

Vipers, URA, Express, KCCA, and Police FC take the first five positions on the table.

Original author: Seth Willis

LIVE: RB Leipzig vs Bayern Munich

5' Coman goes down in the area under a challenge from Orban, but the linesman quickly calls the play back for offside.   

3' Leipzig make a bright start as Mukiele swings in a dangerous cross that narrowly evades the run of Sabitzer.  

1' Bayern get the first half underway.

The players are emerging from the tunnel and kick off is just seconds away!

Bayern have set a new Bundesliga record after 26 matchdays, having scored 78 goals in 2020/21. But they’ll now come up against the league’s best defence this season in RB Leipzig (21 goals conceded and 13 clean sheets).

The big news for Bayern is that Robert Lewandowski isn’t fit enough to make the squad. He’s replaced up top by Choupo-Moting. Meanwhile, Boateng drops out for Hernandez and the suspended Alphonso Davies makes way for Coman.

Leipzig make two changes to the side that defeated Arminia Bielefeld 1-0 before the international break: Marcel Halstenberg and Kevin Kampl drop out for Upamecano and Mukiele.

SUBS: Tanguy Kouassi, Serge Gnabry, Javi Martinez, Marc Roca, Alexander Nubel, Jamal Musiala, Bouna Sarr, Tiago Dantas.

BAYERN MUNICH (4-2-3-1): Manuel Neuer; Benjamin Pavard, Niklas Sule, Lucas Hernandez, David Alaba; Joshua Kimmich, Leon Goretzka; Leroy Sane, Thomas Muller, Kingsley Coman; Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting.

SUBS: Lazar Samardzic, Justin Kluivert, Hwang Hee-Chan, Ibrahima Konate, Philipp Tschauner, Yussuf Poulsen, Alexander Sorloth, Josep Martinez, Benjamin Henrichs.

RB LEIPZIG (3-1-4-2): Peter Gulacsi; Lukas Klostermann, Willi Orban, Dayot Upamecano; Tyler Adams; Nordi Mukiele, Dani Olmo, Marcel Sabitzer, Amadou Haidara; Christopher Nkunku, Emil Forsberg.

Bayern enter this one at the summit of the Bundesliga and they know a victory today should be enough to end the title hopes of their last remaining rival.

Hello and welcome to live commentary of this Bundesliga fixture between RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich. This game will mark a key moment in the title race: Leipzig are in second after five wins from their last six and currently sit four points behind leaders Bayern. If they are to win the league, they’ll most likely need a win today.

LIVE: Leicester vs Manchester City

9' Ndidi tries to arc a long ball over the top for Iheanacho to chase, but Laporte makes a good intervention to quell the danger.

7' City are getting on the ball in the early stages to pressure the Foxes. However, the wall of blue shirts are defending stoutly on the edge of their own box.

5' DISALLOWED GOAL! Fernandino rifles the ball home from 25 yards with a crisp volley. However, the visitors are denied as Aguero is in an offside position as he blocks the sight of Schmeichel. 

4' Vardy gets the better of Walker and wins possession in the middle of the park. De Bruyne gets back, but fouls the forward on the Leicester left flank.

2' Perez collects in the final third and tries to lift a ball through to Vardy, but he succeeds in finding only Ederson.

1' We're underway at the King Power Stadium.

Leicester are looking to complete their first league double over Manchester City since the 1986-87 season, following their 5-2 win at the Etihad earlier this season.

Manchester City have made six changes to their side that beat Everton in their last outing. Ederson replaces Zack Steffen between the posts, while Oleksandr Zinchenko drops out of the side for Mendy. Rodri slots alongside Fernandinho in front of the back four. Aguero leads the line, despite confirming that he will not renew his deal with the club at the end of the season. Mahrez and De Bruyne also earn the starts in the final third. Stones and Sterling start from the bench after their exploits for England during the international break.

Leicester have made one change to their side from their FA Cup win over Manchester United last time out. Caglar Soyuncu is out after being forced to self-isolate due to an outbreak of Covid-19 in the Turkey squad while he was on international duty. Amartey slots into the back three to replace the defender. Rodgers maintains a front three of Vardy, Iheanacho and Perez, despite Maddison's return from a hip injury.

MANCHESTER CITY SUBS: John Stones, Nathan Ake, Raheem Sterling, Ilkay Gundogan, Bernardo Silva, Ferran Torres, Joao Cancelo, Scott Carson, Phil Foden.

MANCHESTER CITY (4-2-3-1): Ederson; Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias, Aymeric Laporte, Benjamin Mendy; Rodri, Fernandinho; Riyad Mahrez, Kevin De Bruyne, Gabriel Jesus; Sergio Aguero.

LEICESTER CITY SUBS: James Maddison, Danny Ward, Hamza Choudhury, Ricardo Pereira, Nampalys Mendy, Dennis Praet, Luke Thomas, Vontae Daley-Campbell, Thanawat Suengchitthawon.

LEICESTER CITY (3-4-3): Kasper Schmeichel; Wesley Fofana, Jonny Evans, Daniel Amartey; Marc Albrighton, Wilfred Ndidi, Youri Tielemans, Timothy Castagne; Kelechi Iheanacho, Ayoze Perez, Jamie Vardy.

Manchester City will look to continue their march towards the Premier League crown with another victory this afternoon. Pep Guardiola's men recovered from the bump in the road in their defeat to Manchester United, easing past Southampton and Fulham. They overcame Borussia Monchengladbach in the Champions League and Everton in the FA Cup to keep their pursuit of the quadruple alive. Another quality outing is required to edge the Citizens closer to the title.

Leicester had built up momentum before the international break, reaching the semi-finals of the FA Cup and stringing together back-to-back Premier League wins. The Foxes defeated Brighton and Hove Albion and Sheffield United to move one point behind Manchester United in second place in the table. The club are on course to finish in the top four, but there is still plenty of work ahead for Brendan Rodgers and his team.

Good afternoon and welcome to the live commentary of the Premier League match between Leicester City and Manchester City at the King Power Stadium.

N'Guessan's assist helps Tenerife end Madrid's unbeaten run despite Ohale's contribution

The Nigerian put up a key performance for Oscar Fernandez's team but the Ivorian's effort helped the visitors claim an away win

Osinachi Ohale scored and provided an assist for Madrid but Ange N'Guessan's assist was crucial in Tenerife's 4-2 away victory in Saturday’s Spanish Primera Iberdrola encounter.

Nigeria international Ohale was handed her sixth league start of the season and made a superb contribution but it was not enough to see her side avoid a first loss in 11 games.

On the other hand, Cote d'Ivoire international N'Guessan earned her 13th starting role for Francis Diaz's team and her second half assist saw her side cement a triumph away from home.

On the heels of 11 unbeaten games, highflying Madrid raced into the lead in the 16th minute of the encounter when Ohale scored her first goal for Fernandez's side at Estadio Municipal Nuevo Matapinonera.

However, the lead was cancelled before half time as the visitors fought back to level matters when María Jose Perez set up Clare Pleuler to fire home in the 44th minute of the contest.

A minute after the restart, Perez launched an early attack before teeing up Cristina Martin-Prieto to grab the lead for the visitors.

Ruthless Tenerife refused to take their feet off the gas as N'Guessan provided an assist for Pleuler to grab her brace and the visitors' third of the match in the 63rd minute.

Ten minutes later, Ohale found another breakthrough on the attack but decided to assist Amanda Frisbie this time to pull one back.  

Madrid's hopes of avoiding defeat were dashed when Martin-Prieto scored her second of the match to guarantee Tenerife's victory in the six-goal thriller, six minutes from time.

Ivorian N'Guessan featured for 64 minutes of the encounter before being replaced by Silvia Doblado, and grabbed her second assist along with two goals for Tenerife this season. Cameroon's Raissa Feudjio was an unused substitute. 

For Ohale, she played for 88 minutes before being taken off for Paula Gutierrez and bagged her first goal and assist in nine games for Madrid since joining from AS Roma in January. Compatriot Rita Chikwelu also was involved for the duration of the match.  

Despite the defeat, Madrid are still fourth on the Iberdrola table with 48 points from 23 games, while Tenerife are sixth with 47 points from the same number of matches this term.

After the upcoming international break, Ohale will look to get Madrid back to winning ways against Valencia, while N'Guessan will be eyeing a fifth win in a row for Tenerife against Santa Teresa.

Original author: Samuel Ahmadu

Dortmund's head of first-team football weighs in on Haaland's future amid exit rumours

The Norwegian striker has been linked with a host of clubs and his agent was spotted in Spain this week

Sebastian Kehl has admitted Borussia Dortmund may reach a point where they are powerless to keep hold of Erling Haaland.

The Norwegian’s stock continues to climb in the Bundesliga, and a scrum of Europe’s major sides are lining up ahead of a possible bidding war.

The pot was stirred this week when Haaland’s agent Mino Raiola was spotted in Barcelona - fuelling talk of a possible move to Catalunya .

What has been said?

Kehl, Dortmund’s head of first-team football, is aware of Raiola’s trip to Spain and said positive talks have taken place with the player’s agent - with their intention being to keep the forward at the club.

"Our position is clear: we are planning with Erling,” Kehl said. “We are very relaxed about that.

"Of course, we have been following the situation. But we had a very, very good talk with Mino and his (Haaland's) father just recently."

The concern for Dortmund is Haaland has a reported buy-out clause of €75 million (£64m / $88m) that becomes active in 2022, and any club who bids that figure would take BVB out of the picture.

When asked if Haaland has asked Dortmund to let him leave, Kehl replied: "I don't want to go into those talks now. From a certain point on, we may no longer be able to influence what the future will bring."

Haaland remains focused

Being the subject of huge amounts of media coverage could be a source of distraction for any player.

At 20, Haaland is in the fledgling stage of his career - and seeing links to Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea, to name a few of the sides jockeying for position, could turn his head.

Kehl, though, claims Haaland’s demeanour has not changed in the face of intense media speculation.

"I have seen the boy in training in the last two days and I have seen how hungry he is and the sparkle is in his eyes,” Kehl said.

“We are very ambitious, we need Erling to achieve our sporting goals, and we have made that clear.”

A big few weeks for Dortmund

The Bundesliga side are still in the hunt for Champions League glory, and face Manchester City over two legs in the quarter-finals this month.

Given the quality at City boss Pep Guardiola’s disposal, Dortmund head into the tie as outsiders to qualify.

If they are to stand any chance of persuading Haaland to stay, Dortmund must be competing in the Champions League.

Winning the tournament would guarantee that, as would securing a place in the top four in the Bundesliga.

Their chances of a top-four finish suffered a setback on Saturday, as they were beaten 2-1 by Eintracht Frankfurt and are now seven points adrift of the Champions League qualification spots.

Further reading

Pioneering Morishita targets Japan call-up but considering researching Ghana opportunity for World Cup ambition

Exclusive: The striker opens up on his national team ambitions after becoming the first Japanese man to join a Ghana Premier League side

There has never been one route to greatness. Jindo Morishita’s path towards earning a first-ever call-up to Japan’s national team is not only fascinating but also pretty unusual.

Last month, the striker made history by become the first Japanese professional footballer to join a Ghanaian club after penning a short-term deal with Premier League side Ebusua Dwarfs.

For the 25-year-old, who previously played in Zambia, the move was a big step which draws him a step closer to realising a long-held dream.

“I have mentioned winning the Champions League in Africa [among my ambitions] and as a player, my ultimate dream is to play in the club World Cup in Japan as a representative of Africa," Morishita told Goal.

"Besides that, I think any player who is playing football at a professional level, their ambition is to represent their country and obviously, I’ve never stopped dreaming playing for my own country [Japan].

“I think becoming one of the fewest Japanese players in Africa will [bring me] an advantage of being spotted [by Japan], so yeah, let’s just hope.

"To be selected as for the Japanese national team, you have to give the best and give good results in the league and team you’re playing, so we’ll see. That’s up to the Japanese Football Association, it’s not for me to decide. But my dream always is to be there.”

But considering Japan’s available array of talent in the top European leagues, and even those playing at home in the J1 League, one will easily wonder how realistic Morishita’s national team target is.

“Concerning my own level and the current Japanese national team level, within the next one or two years, it’s not realistic [to get a call-up]," the 25-year-old continued.

"I’ve been away from football during the Covid times. I personally think that I know the level of the national team, I have been training with players of the national team and I know their levels, so that’s a very challenging goal for me.

“But putting myself in such challenging environment in Ghana, I haven’t played in the Premier League in Ghana yet so I cannot say the level [or] the possibilities too far away. You never know what’s going to happen in three years or five years.

“I couldn’t imagine myself being in Ghana and playing in the Premier League three to five years ago. So in a few years’ time, it might not be realistic but I am assuming my peak as professional player and career will come in three to five years’ time, so by then we’ll see.”

Like almost every footballer, Morishita also has an eye on appearing at the Fifa World Cup. For many foreigners in Africa, an easier, and perhaps more realistic, route to the global showpiece, is to adopt a new nationality over time and represent the African nation where they are based.

“I didn’t have that idea in mind but thank you for the idea. I like that. I don’t know how many years I need to stay here in order to acquire a permanent residence to get a Ghanaian nationality," said the forward on the subject.

"But if I am really eager to play in the World Cup and if the Ghanaian people will accept me to play for Ghana, that might be one of the options. That’s an interesting option for me. I need to do some research about that in order to acquire Ghanaian nationality.

“The interesting thing is I don’t feel much of an identity in myself as a Japanese. I was born in Japan, but I was raised outside of Japan, and there is this sort of identity crisis in me. I was bothered when I came back to Japan from the Netherlands because I didn’t behave like a Japanese.

“Japanese are very calm, shy, they respect, but I was quite aggressive to talk about what I though, my opinion, and people didn’t enjoy that at some point, when I was 15 years old. And that made me think: ‘Am I really a Japanese?’

"When I came to Africa for the first time, even now, my inside might be non-Japanese, but people look at me as Japanese, my appearance as Japanese and that was quite interesting for me. When I came to Africa, I realized that even a small part in myself [gives me] a Japanese identity.”

As the Ghana Premier League resumes for the second round on Easter weekend, Morishita will have to wait a little longer to get going in the championship due to a delay in the processing his paperwork.  

Original author: Prince Narkortu Teye

PSG on US TV: How to watch and live stream Ligue 1 matches

Paris Saint-Germain continues its title defence this week with a fixture against Lille

Paris Saint-Germain is France's most successful team, having won over 40 trophies and is looking to add more silverware this season.

Live Stream: Fanatiz English (stream now)

Thomas Tuchel was replaced by former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino during the season, with the Argentine having already won his first piece of silverware as a manager as PSG lifted the Trophee des Champions.

A tenth Ligue 1 title for the Parisian club is the main aim this season as well as a big splash in Europe following last season's Champions League run which took PSG all the way to the final.

How to watch PSG vs Lille on US TV

PSG vs Lille can be streamed in the US through Fanatiz with a 7-day free trial, and kicks off at 8am PT and 11am ET.

First plays second in Ligue 1 on Saturday as PSG hosts Lille.

Both teams are level on 63 points at the top of the table, but PSG sits at the summit thanks to a better goal difference.

Marco Verratti had been expected to miss out through injury, but PSG confirmed a positive coronavirus test which will also see him miss the upcoming Champions League games with Bayern Munich.

Neymar is back in contention but Pochettino may decide not to risk him for the full 90 minutes this weekend.

Danilo Pereira picked up a knock with Portugal during the international break and might not be risked either.

Lille will be boosted by the return of Jonathan Ikone, who was fit enough to feature for France Under-21s.

Zeki Celik misses out after testing positive for coronavirus, while Jeremy Pied is sidelined through injury.

PSG on US TV in Ligue 1

Date Time (US PT / ET) Game Stream
April 3 8am / 11am PSG vs Lille Fanatiz
April 10 8am / 11am Strasbourg vs PSG Fanatiz
April 18 4am / 7am PSG vs St-Etienne Fanatiz
April 24 8am / 11am Metz vs PSG Fanatiz

All of PSG's Ligue 1 games can be watched live on Fanatiz.

PSG in Ligue 1 table

Pos Team MP W D L GD Pts
1 PSG 30 20 3 7 46 63
2 Lille 30 18 9 3 31 63
3 Monaco 31 19 5 7 26 62
4 Lyon 30 17 9 4 29 60
5 Lens 30 13 9 8 4 48

PSG has won more games than any other team in Ligue 1, but seven defeats so far this season sees the club sit level with Lille in the table.

A win over its title rivals will open up a three point gap at the top of the table.

Monaco's win over PSG in February put them back in the title race, which promises be the most exciting in years after a lengthy period of dominance by the French capital club.

As well as this weekend's Ligue 1 clash, PSG will also have one eye on the upcoming Champions League quarter-final clash with Bayern Munich.

Watch Ligue 1 live on Fanatiz.

Original author: Ronan Murphy

LIVE: AC Milan vs Sampdoria

That's all for now though, goodbye!  

The result means that Milan cut Inter's lead to five points - but with two games in hand, Inter are now in an even more commanding position. Sampdoria, meanwhile, remain 10th.  

Hauge's late goal rescues a point for Milan. Sampdoria dominated the first half but couldn't find a breakthough: Gabbiadini and Thorsby were denied by fine Donnarumma saves, while Damsgaard missed a glaring opportunity when clean through. However, the visitors eventually took the lead during a mad period in the second half. First, Quagliarella opened the scoring with an inspired chip from 30 yards. But moments later, Sampdoria were reduced to 10 men, when Silva picked up a second yellow. Milan pushed forward in search of an equaliser and it eventually arrived late on when Hauge curled in from 12 yards. There was still time for Kessie to hit the post as Milan went agonisingly close to a winner, but the visitors held on for an impressive draw.     

90' + 5' FULL TIME: Milan 1-1 Sampdoria

90' + 3' Kessie hits the post! Ibrahimovic plays Kessie clean through with a deft flick and the midfielder places a shot from eight yards that flicks off the sliding lunge of Tonelli and against the post! 

90' + 1' Five minutes of stoppage time are added as Milan push for a winner. 

89' Brilliant save from Audero! Calhanoglu rifles a powerful, low shot from 20 yards that forces Audero into a brilliant reflex save to tip it around the post!

84' That chance for Rebic was the closest Milan have come, but Sampdoria are still holding firm as we approach stoppage time.  

82' Off the line by Colley! Rebic spins past Bereszynski and pokes a close range shot past Audero, only for Colley to race back to prevent the ball from trickling in!  

80' Milan have pinned Sampdoria inside their own half, but they're still struggling to create clear chances.   

78' Calhanoglu's outswinging corner is glanced well wide by Kessie.  

76' Calhanoglu's low 20-yard drive deflects wide for a corner that amounts to nothing.   

74' Theo and Calhanoglu work a smart interchange on the edge of the box, but Tonelli anticipates the danger and shields it out of play.   

72' Tonelli throws himself at Rebic's 18-yard shot and it ricochets to safety.   

70' Despite their numerical advantage, it'll be impressive if Milan launch a comeback. They've managed just one shot from inside the box all game, with Sampdoria successfully stifling the hosts.     

68' Quagliarella attempts to repeat his earlier goal - but this time from even further out - and his lob drifts harmlessly wide.  

66' Rebic jinks past Thorsby before angling a chip well over the bar from 25 yards.   

64' Milan now have 30 minutes to rescue this game against 10 men!

62' Well, the game has been turned on its head in the last 10 minutes! First Sampdoria took a deserved lead when Quagliarella chipped Donnarumma but then the visitors threw away their advantage instantly with Silva's red card!   

59' Red card for Sampdoria! Silva earns a second yellow card after a late challenge on Castillejo!  

55' Candreva's inswinging corner is claimed by Donnarumma.

53' Ibrahimovic wins a dangerous free-kick on the edge of the box, but Calhanoglu's delivery is claimed by Audero.

51' If Sampdoria can repeat their first half performance, they'll have a good chance of walking away with all three points, and you suspect Candreva holds the key to this. Candreva has been involved in 11 Serie A goals this season (five goals and six assists), more than any other Sampdoria player. The Italian winger has also netted three goals against AC Milan in the top-flight.

48' Milan hit the visitors with a counter-attack, but the move is eventually slowed down by Ibrahimovic, who can't beat Colley before misplacing a throughball intended for Calhanoglu.   

46' Sampdoria get the second half underway.

Milan know they have to win today to put the pressure on leaders, Inter, and you'd expect them to push for an opening goal in the second half.   

It's 0-0 at half time, after a promising display from Sampdoria. The visitors dominated that first half but lacked a clinical edge to take the lead. Gabbiadini and Thorsby both forced Donnarumma into fine saves to protect Milan's clean sheet and Damsgaard wasted a clear opportunity when he was clean through. Milan lacked fluency at the other end and only really threatened with a tenuous penalty appeal late in the half.  

45' + 2' HALF TIME: Milan 0-0 Sampdoria

43' Milan appeal for a penalty after a tangle between Augello and Ibrahimovic, but the referee waves play on and VAR doesn't intervene.

41' Theo lashes a wild half-volley high and wide from 30 yards.   

38' Castillejo cuts it back towards Calhanoglu from the byline and it looks as though the attacker will have a clean shot at goal, but Thorsby recovers to lunge in and divert the ball to safety.   

36' Milan finally seem to have stopped Sampdoria's pressure, but they're struggling to produce many chances themselves currently.  

34' Calhanoglu steps up to take the free-kick from 22 yards, but he curls it wastefully into the wall.  

30' Ibrahimovic blasts a 30-yard free-kick straight into the wall.  

28' Damsgaard wins a promising free-kick near the left-hand side, but Candreva's delivery is too close to Donnarumma and the goalkeeper sails out to claim it.

26' Strong save from Donnarumma! Thorsby firmly meets Candreva's corner at the near post and powers a header at goal, that Donnarumma acrobatically parries to safety! 

24' Chance for Damsgaard! Gabbiadini plays a deft, first-time flick to send Damsgaard clean through, but Theo anticipates the danger and gets back to poke it away from the midfielder at the crucial moment!  

22' Quagliarella lays it off to Augello inside the box, but the defender can only plant a tame effort straight at Donnarumma from eight yards.   

20' Milan attempt to settle the game down with a long spell of possession inside their own half.

18' Sampdoria have largely been in control of this game so far: they've had 55 per cent possession and Milan have yet to muster a single shot.   

16' Milan have had to absorb plenty of pressure early on, with Sampdoria making a surprisingly proactive start.  

14' Candreva whips in a dangerous cross from the right flank, but Tomori is there again to hack it clear.   

12' Thorsby cuts out a pass from Bennacer and suddenly Sampdoria have a three-on-three! However, Quagliarella's throughball to set Damsgaard clean through is misplaced and Kjaer is positioned to make a crucial interception!

10' Krunic beats Bereszynski and squares it towards Calhanoglu, but the attacker can't quite stretch far enough to make contact. 

8' Milan fail to clear a series of corners, as the visitors continue to push for an early opening goal.   

6' Gabbiadini goes close! Sampdoria continue to exert early pressure, as Gabbiadini cuts inside from the right before bending a curling effort from 20 yards that forces Donnarumma to pull off an acrobatic save to tip it over the bar!

4' Gabbiadini wriggles past Theo and gets deep inside the box, before cutting it back to Damsgaard who has a shot from 12 yards charged down by Kjaer.

2' Sampdoria start brightly as Damsgaard latches onto Augello's pass down the line, before hammering in a vicious cross that Tomori hooks to safety.  

1' Milan get the first half underway.

The players are emerging from the tunnel and kick off is just seconds away!

Milan haven’t won any of their last five home games in all competitions (D2 L3); the last time they went on a longer such run came in December 2013 under Massimiliano Allegri (six).

Sampdoria make two changes to the team that beat Torino 1-0: Albin Ekdal and Jankto drop out with Silva and Damsgaard coming in.

Milan make three changes to the side that defeated Fiorentina 3-2 before the international break: Dalot, Tonali and Diaz are replaced by Castillejo, Bennacer and Krunic.

SUBS: Nicola Ravaglia, Jakub Jankto, Mehdi Leris, Maya Yoshida, Antonino La Gumina, Valerio Verre, Karlo Letica, Kristoffer Askildsen, Gaston Ramirez, Vasco Regini, Keita, Alex Ferrari.

SAMPDORIA (4-4-2): Emil Audero; Bartosz Bereszynski, Lorenzo Tonelli, Omar Colley, Tommaso Augello; Antonio Candreva, Morten Thorsby, Adrien Silva, Mikkel Damsgaard; Fabio Quagliarella, Manolo Gabbiadini.

SUBS: Diogo Dalot, Matteo Gabbia, Antonio Donnarumma, Jens Hauge, Ciprian Tatarusanu, Soualiho Meite, Sandro Tonali, Pierre Kalulu Kyatengwa, Ante Rebic.

MILAN (4-2-3-1): Gianluigi Donnarumma; Alexis Saelemaekers, Simon Kjaer, Fikayo Tomori, Theo Hernandez; Ismael Bennacer, Franck Kessie; Samu Castillejo, Hakan Calhanoglu, Rade Krunic; Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Sampdoria, meanwhile, are in a respectable 10th place – but with just one win in their last six games (a victory over Torino last time out) they’ll be hoping to shock Milan and arrest their recent slide.

Hello and welcome to live commentary of this Serie A fixture between Milan and Sampdoria. The hosts enter this one in second, with an outside chance of catching Inter in first: they’re six points off top having played an extra game, and they’ll be hoping to chip into this gap with a win today.

'I knew TFF will not serve justice' - Yanga's Mwakalebela after five-year ban

The official was handed the lengthy sanction for inciting statements among other counts of law-breaking, according to the federation

Yanga SC vice-chairman Fredrick Mwakalebela has hit back at the Tanzania Football Federation's Disciplinary Committee for handing him a five-year ban.

Mwakalebela was called to defend himself before the five-year ban takes effect, which will see him not being able to associate himself with football.

"I feel justice was not served and I had seen it from how the hearings were conducted. For sure, I knew I was going to be banned," Mwakalebela said during an interview with reporters.

"I had warned even our chairman [Mshindo Msolla] that I was going to be banned and that is because I was sceptical about how the committee ran the hearing process."

The official further claimed his ban was unfair as the cases he raised at the tribunal before were never heard or decided.

Among the issues Yanga protested at the tribunal is Bernard Morrison's controversial switch to Simba SC in December 2020.

The case is yet to be fully determined although the TFF's Players' Status Committee had stated the Ghanaian was not bound by any Yanga contract and was a free agent at the time.

"I tabled all our complaints but we were never given a chance to be heard conclusively," he added.

"Yanga bestowed on me great honour to help run their club and I have never shied away from defending them. I do defend them for the better of the club. 

"I was banned on a number of actions and one of them is that I made inciting remarks against the referees. But I have raised a number of issues including how our letters of complaints and demands are never attended to.

"That is the reason I was banned and fined. I also made a demand that Morrison's case is heard and determined before the incitement case was heard."

The Tanzanian football administrator also sarcastically claimed the ban means he should not even read news updates on sports.

"I have been asked not to engage in matters of football and that means even reading sports sections in the newspapers," he concluded.

"That means even the TVs must be switched off whenever I am in a room because I have been banned from sports activities."

The federation, apart from banning the official, Mwakalebela was  was also fined and issued a warning

"Tanzania Football Federation Disciplinary Committee has banned Yanga SC's vice-chairman Mwakalebela from football activities for five years," TFF judgement read.

"Mwakalebela has also been fined Tsh5,000,000 after he was found guilty of inciteful statements for the Yanga fans, the members against football administration bodies in the country.

"The judgement has been delivered pursuant to Article 73(4) of TFF Regulations of 2013."

It is not yet clear whether the Timu ya Wananchi official will appeal against the judgement rendered by the committee on Friday.

Mwakalebela is the second high-profile figure at Yanga to be sanctioned after media liaison officer Hassan Bumbuli was banned for three years.

Original author: Kiplagat Sang

Pangabet weekend match preview

Our tipster previews Leicester v City, Arsenal v Liverpool, Man United v Brighton, Sevilla v Atletico, Wolves v West Ham & Everton v Palace

Sarr: Watford's target is to secure Premier League promotion

The Senegal international has expressed his delight with the performances of the Hornets and hopes his side will clinch a ticket to the top-flight

Ismaila Sarr has revealed Watford's primary target is to secure promotion to the Premier League and winning the Championship title is secondary.

The 23-year-old helped the Hornets to extend their winning run to six games against Sheffield Wednesday on Friday.

The victory ensured they maintained their second place on the league table, with 78 points from 39 games, to reduce their gap with leaders Norwich City to six points.

Sarr, who used the international break to recover from a hamstring, has explained Watford’s target for the season.

“I don’t think about the title, because the main goal is to go up to the Premier League, so we’re focused on keeping on picking up three points,” Sarr, who has four assists and nine goals already this season, told the club website.

“Whether we win the league or not, that’s not important. We have to keep working to improve, get more points and go up, but first place is not an obsession.

“I feel much better now. I’ve worked a lot during this international break to recover, so now I feel fit.

“I’m very happy, but it’s not only me. I’m happy when everyone is happy around the team; the players, the staff and the supporters as well.

“All I can do is keep working hard, which I did. I gave my contribution and I’m happy because everyone is happy.”

Watford, like other major clubs around the world, have been playing their games without fans due to the coronavirus rules preventing them from the stadium.

Sarr revealed he missed the support of the fans and urged his side to continue to motivate themselves for victories.

“Supporters give you that extra push, to win the game and to play as best you can. Now the supporters are not here, so we need to keep pushing in order to be ready for when they are back,” he continued.

“Supporters make sacrifices to follow us, and supporters give us a push. All we can do is try to return something to them, and obviously go up and enjoy the moment together.”

Sarr has scored nine goals and provided nine assists in 34 Championship games this season and will hope to add to his tally when Watford take on Middlesbrough on Monday.

 

 

Original author: Gbenga Adewoye

'What the f*ck are you doing?!' - Guardiola reveals why he can't speak about Haaland

The 20-year-old could be on the move this summer but the Manchester City boss will not talk about a possible deal out of respect for his players

Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola says he will not discuss a possible move for Erling Haaland out of respect for his players.

The Premier League leaders are said to be among the contenders to sign the 20-year-old striker from Borussia Dortmund this summer.

The race to secure the Norway international seems to be heating up as it was reported this week that Haaland's agent, Mino Raiola, was in Spain and England with the player's father to hold talks with various top clubs.

What has been said?

Asked about his side's chances of joining the fight to land Haaland, Guardiola said it would be wrong to discuss the attacker. 

"You understand I'm not going to talk about any names, about other players at other clubs," he told reporters.

"It would not be polite for Borussia Dortmund and for Haaland. Absolutely, it’s not my business.

"I have two months with these players that we have here, they deserve as much respect from their manager to [not] talk about another player when we have two months ahead, important ones with what we have done so far.

"So, if I'm a player and the manager speaks of other players I'd say: 'What the f*ck are you doing?'.

"We are here to do what we have to do right now. I never comment, never in five years I speak about another player from another club. Never, never."

Could Man City sign Haaland?

With Sergio Aguero set to leave the club on a free transfer at the end of the season, City may feel they need a new striker.

They have been linked with Haaland and Tottenham star Harry Kane, but Guardiola said on Friday that they cannot afford to spend big on a forward in the next transfer window.

Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was also hesitant to discuss a possible bid for the Dortmund attacker and Chelsea coach Thomas Tuchel refused to comment, too.

Despite all the speculation surrounding his future, Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc insists the German club plan on keeping the Norwegian for several years.

Further reading

Original author: Peter McVitie

Caf Champions League: Mapping Simba SC's Group A ahead of AS Vita duel

Wekundu wa Msimbazi will be at home looking for just a point that will help them book a quarter-final slot
Original author: Kiplagat Sang

Ssimbwa: URA FC have tough work to break down solid Express FC

The veteran Ugandan coach calls on his players to devise ways to unlock the Red Eagles when the two sides face off

URA FC coach Sam Ssimbwa has admitted they will face a tough game when they travel to confront Express FC in a Ugandan Premier League match on Saturday.

The Tax Collectors will travel to Wankulukuku to face the Red Eagles, who happen to be the only side to have beaten them in the first round of the top-tier.

Ahead of the second-round opener, Ssimbwa has openly claimed his players have their work cut out for them as they will have to devise a good strategy to deal with an Express side he described as solid and hard to break down.

“Express has shown us and the rest of the competitors how good a team they are,” Ssimbwa told the club’s official website ahead of the game. “They play solid and are hard to break down, our front players have their work cut out for them.

“We also can’t disguise the fact they are the only team to beat this season. The game will be tough and our players equally need to toughen.”

URA will be hoping for a better result this time around considering that the reverse home fixture didn’t exactly go according to plan as they suffered a 1-0 defeat courtesy of a goal from George Senkaaba.

The defeat happened back in February and one could say it was indeed a blessing in disguise because the tax collectors have since managed to arrest some consistency and put together a nine-game unbeaten run, have won eight, and drawn only once against Wakiso Giants.

Coach Ssimbwa will be happy to welcome back Julius Mutyaba after missing out on 10 games while Mbowa Patrick who is serving a suspension will not feature in this game after accumulating yellow cards.

All the other players are available for selection apart from Jackson Nunda and Hudu Mulikyi who are nursing injuries.

This will be the eighteenth meeting between the two sides since 2012 and URA have won more games in the 17 times the two clubs have met.

URA has won seven times and drawn seven times. Express have won just three times. The Tax Collectors made it four points out of a possible six points against Express in the just concluded 2019/2020 season.

Original author: Dennis Mabuka

Bandari's Hassan sets target of 15 goals in FKF Premier League

The winger has also expressed optimism the Dockers will continue performing well once the top-tier resumes

Harambee Star Abdallah Hassan has set a target of 15 goals in the Football Kenya Federation Premier League this season.

The winger has been doing well this season and has been involved in nine goals for the Dockers after scoring five and assisting four. The attacker has now made his target clear while hoping the coastal-based side can continue with their fine form once the top-tier resumes.

"My target is to score at least 15 goals this season and I believe I can do it," Hassan said in a recent interview.

"I feel that I am in good form and hopefully I can sustain it when the [FKF] Premier League resumes.  

"As a team, we didn't start well but we have picked up and gelled gradually and the performance has improved. Hopefully, when the league resumes we can pick up from there and keep moving up."

Hassan has further revealed he had set a target of scoring more goals in the league and has been working on it.

"This season my form has been very good and not like last season when we had to break due to the pandemic," he continued.

"I have been working very hard in training and also putting that work into matches. Getting to score more goals was one of my targets and now doing it for the national team as well is really great because it is not easy scoring against big teams."

The winger has also been doing well for the Kenya national team. He has scored three goals in as many matches and went on to shed more light on his performances.

"Chances do not come easily and when you get one then you must try as hard as possible to capitalise on it," Hassan continued.

"The defenders are good in their marking, they don't let you pass easily, so when they sleep on the job you punish them. It is what I have been doing and I hope to maintain the consistency which will be beneficial to both my club Bandari and the national team." 

The winger is expected to be part of coach Jacob 'Ghost' Mulee's squad for the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, which will start in June with the first game being against Uganda at home.

Original author: Seth Willis

Scholes chooses Haaland over Kane as he urges Man Utd to buy new No.9

The former Red Devils midfielder says the striker's age and ability make him the ideal candidate to lead the attack at Old Trafford

Paul Scholes says signing a new striker should be Manchester United's top priority this summer and urged the club to target Erling Haaland instead of Harry Kane.

Borussia Dortmund sensation Haaland has been heavily linked with a number of Europe's top clubs, including  United , while Kane's future is uncertain after he claimed  that he doesn't know if he will stay  at Tottenham.

And Scholes believes the Red Devils are in need of a designated striker to lead their attack and sees Haaland as the ideal option.

What has been said?

“First and foremost, they need a number nine,” the former United midfielder said on  Webby & O’Neill   YouTube channel .

“I think the forwards they have are very good, but are any of them really a number nine, are they wide players? You just can't make sense out of it, really.

“When [Edinson] Cavani's played, he's looked alright, but he's picked up a few injuries. He's at that age, it was always going to happen, he was always going to be bit-part.

“They need someone who is more permanent. I know Haaland is talked about a lot, he's going to cost a lot of money. Harry Kane at Spurs, there are rumours that he might want to leave there.

“I think any one of them, you take any one of them, but I think if I had to choose, then Haaland would definitely be the one.

“Purely for his age, his ability, the timing of his career, he's played under Ole [Gunnar Solskjaer] before. I think it would make sense for everyone to do it, but there's going to be other clubs in for him, so it will be difficult.

“I like Kane, I think he's brilliant. When he first came onto the scene, I likened him to Ruud [van Nistelrooy], he's a ruthless finisher, desperate to score goals.

“I just think at the stages of each one's career, then you get more out of Haaland.”

Could Haaland leave Dortmund this summer?

Reports in Spain this week claimed Haaland's agent, Mino Raiola, has been in talks with Barcelona and Madrid over a move for the rising star.

However, Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc insists the German side are planning a long-term future with the 20-year-old.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer refused to discuss United's interest in the forward on Friday , while Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola said it is unlikely his side will be able to spend a lot of money  on a striker in the next transfer window.

Further reading

Original author: Peter McVitie

Bbosa: Express FC target is to complete double over ‘decent’ URA FC

The veteran tactician reveals the Red Eagles' readiness to deal with the Tax Collectors as they resume the second round campaign

Express FC coach Wasswa Bbosa has stated their main target is to seal a double over their rivals URA FC when they face off in a Ugandan Premier League match on Saturday.

The Red Eagles will begin their second-round campaign with a home fixture against the Tax Collectors at Wankulukuku Stadium and having won the first-round meeting 1-0 courtesy of a George Senkaaba goal, coach Bbosa is confident they will complete a double over them.

“We're glad to be back for the final part of the season with an almost fit squad,” Bbosa told the club’s official website. “We ended our first round on a good note and we’ve been working tirelessly since then.

“A lot has been worked on to correct our mistakes from the first round and we hope to be better, URA is a decent team and we respect them but we want to complete the double over them.”

On his part, Express assistant captain and goalkeeper Mathias Muwanga maintained they are more than prepared to come up against the Tax Collectors and their main target is to get a win.

“We’ve been working on some of our weaknesses from the first round,” Muwanga told the same portal. “Right now as we head for the second round, we’re in shape and ready to achieve our target which is winning silverware.

“As for tomorrow’s [Saturday] game, URA is a big team with good players but we are prepared more than them, we’re at home so we shall convert our chances and score to win the game.”

Bbosa’s charges will look to better their first-round heroics which saw them collect 32 points from 15 games scoring 22 goals, conceding seven with one defeat.

However, they will have to achieve a positive start minus Senkaaba, who scored the winning goal in the first round meeting, as he is yet to recover from injury, the same as left-back Arthur Kiggundu while midfielder Abel Etrude will also miss out with a knock on the knee.

The Red Eagles are unbeaten at home in four league games, they have kept five clean sheets in their last six games and eight in total in the top-tier.

URA have come out on top more in this fixture managing 10 wins to Express FC’s three with 10 draws between the sides in their last 23 meetings.

Original author: Dennis Mabuka

Bevis Mugabi: Uganda defender signs contract extension with Motherwell FC

The Cranes international is expected to stay at the Scottish club for another season after extending his stay with a renewal

Uganda defender Bevis Mugabi has signed a new contract extension with Scottish club Motherwell FC.

The Uganda defender, 25, joined the Fir Park club in September 2019 and has made 35 appearances in claret and amber.

Motherwell have confirmed the development on their official website by stating: “Bevis [Mugabi] has signed a new deal with Motherwell.

“The Ugandan international defender has extended his contract with the club for the 2021/22 season. Mugabi, 25, joined Motherwell in September 2019 and has made 35 appearances in claret and amber.”

Motherwell manager Graham Alexander said the club was delighted to see Mugabi extend his stay.

“We’re delighted Bevis has agreed to extend his stay with us at Motherwell,” Alexander told the same portal. “We’ve been really impressed with his contribution since January, both on and off the pitch.

“We can also see the potential for him to get better and continue to help the team achieve future success.”

Mugabi, who has been capped 10 times by Uganda, has been a key figure at the heart of the defence for Motherwell in the 2020/21 campaign, although injury has restricted his outings of late.

He gained international attention when his jump to head in the winning goal against Ross County in January was recorded at 262cm, with a leap of 75cm, breaking a record set by Cristiano Ronaldo for Juventus.

Mugabi is a product of the Southampton academy and has previously played for Yeovil Town in England. As a 16-year-old, Mugabi left Fulham and joined Southampton in 2011 but after failing to make it into the Saints' first team he joined Yeovil Town in 2016.

He was named in Uganda's provisional squad for the last Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Burkina Faso and Malawi but the defender could not make the squad owing to injury.

Uganda went on to miss out on the Afcon finals after securing a 0-0 draw against Burkina Faso before losing 1-0 away against Malawi.

Original author: Dennis Mabuka

Kaizer Chiefs vs Wydad Casablanca Preview: Kick-off time, TV channel, squad news

Amakhosi resume continental business as they hope to enhance their chances of reaching the next stage of Africa's premier club competition

Kaizer Chiefs would be keen for a second win in the Caf Champions League Group C when they host group leaders Wydad Casablanca at FNB Stadium on Saturday.

Playing against the Moroccans who have already qualified for the quarter-finals, third-placed Chiefs are contending against Horoya SC for the only remaining last-eight slot from this group.

Amakhosi have five points, the same as second-placed Horoya who face Petro Atletico de Luanda on the same day.

To enhance their chances of advancing to the quarter-finals, Chiefs would be pressing for a win against Wydad while they pray that Horoya falter in Angola.

Game Kaizer Chiefs vs Wydad Casablanca
Date Saturday, April 3
Time 18:00 SA Time

TV Channel, Live Score & How To Watch

Online Streaming TV Channel
Caf Champions League & Confederation Cup official Facebook page N/A

Squads & Team News

Earlier this week, Chiefs coach Gavin Hunt confirmed that Khama Billiat and Leonardo Castro are available for selection.

The duo is returning from injury with Billiat having been out since January while Castro has missed the team's last five games.

Their return is what Hunt needs as the pair has vast Champions League experience from their days at Mamelodi Sundowns.

Chiefs will be welcoming back Lebogang Manyama who was suspended for their last match against Orlando Pirates.

Also back is goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune who is returning from compassionate leave following the death of his sister.

Wydad are in Johannesburg but are used to previous trips to Tshwane where they have established a fierce rivalry against Mamelodi Sundowns in the Champions League. 

Reports suggest that the Moroccans have sent a second-string squad to do duty against Chiefs due to Covid-19 restrictions.

It is reported that they even came to Johannesburg without head coach Faouzi Benzarti as their travelling party to Johannesburg will have to quarantine for 10 days upon return to Morocco while regular players will do duty in the upcoming matches after the Chiefs game.

On paper, such a situation appears to be good news for Chiefs who will field their best possible squad.

Match Preview

In the first leg, Wydad convincingly beat Chiefs 4-0 in neutral Burkina Faso as they boosted their chances of progressing to the quarter-finals.

While the Moroccans can afford to send a second-string squad and have already completed their mission of reaching the knockout of this competition, Chiefs are fighting to book a place in the next round.

But Amakhosi go into this match spurred by the Soweto derby triumph over old foes Orlando Pirates in their last match.

They went into that game not expected to come out with victory but a 1-0 win was recorded and similar odds follow them in the hosting of Wydad.

Chiefs have managed two wins, as many draws and a defeat in their last five games.

They face a Wydad side which has not tasted defeat for 11 games, with their last loss having been in December 2020.

Original author: Michael Madyira

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