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After winning the Indian Super League (ISL) League Winners Shield beating ATK Mohun Bagan in their final league stage game, Mumbai City played out a 2-2 draw against FC Goa in their first leg of the semifinal.

In fact, the Islanders could not impose themselves on Gaurs as they would have liked and coach Sergio Lobera acknowledged that he wasn't completely happy with his team's performance.

What did Lobera say?

"No, I am not happy because there were two things which were important for me in the last game. First, we had chances to score more goals and we have to be clinical in these situations and the second one is the game was very open. We didn't have control of the game during some periods of the game and we gave them the opportunity to play between the lines and spaces. We need to improve these," stated the Mumbai City coach.

The Spaniard though suggested that neither he nor his team is feeling any pressure ahead of the second leg tie and suggested that he would advise his players to enjoy the game against Goa.

"I don't feel any pressure neither do the players. It has been a big season and we have achieved something very important (AFC Champions League). We want to enjoy the play-offs, obviously, we want to win the trophy. We are very excited and we are very lucky to play these kinds of games. I don't feel any pressure, maybe the pressure is there for other teams," said Lobera.

'Don't like people provocating my players'

Mourtada Fall had got embroiled in a controversy after the first-leg tie as he had got away with a yellow card despite a two-footed challenge on Goa's Princeton Rebello in the dying moments of the match. Gaurs boss Juan Ferrando had even stated after the match that the Senegalese defender's tackle was like 'taekwondo'.

Countering the FC Goa coach, Lobera mentioned that he dislikes people who comment on his players without knowing them properly. He also urged everyone to back the referees and other match officials instead of 'crying' all the time over decisions. 

"Speaking about Fall, if someone says that he had a bad intention during the tackle then they don't know Fall. He is a big person, a big player and a very good professional. There was no bad intention for the tackle, I am a hundred per cent sure. I don't like people try to provocate my players because this player is playing here for a long time. Everyone knows how Mourtada Fall is. If you want to compare, then I can say that one player Edu Bedia bit Deepak Tangri (Chennaiyin FC) and he is still playing.

"I had Hugo Boumous suspended for four games. At the end of the last game, some people were speaking to the match commissioner or the referee. If we want to complain then we can complain about a lot of things. But I never speak about the referees. In the Jamshedpur match, the referee didn't give the goal to them and FC Goa then scored the goal and nobody spoke about that.

"Now in the play-off, I want to focus on my team and I don't like people crying all the time. On the pitch, we need to respect all the people and we need to try and help the people who are doing a difficult job - the referees, the match commissioners," opined the Spanish coach.

The former Las Palmas coach also heaped praise on Fall and suggested that he is lucky to have a player like Fall in his team. Fall has scored 13 headed goals in his ISL career, the same number as Sunil Chhetri.

"You can see the numbers. He is the player with the highest number of goals in knock-out games. He has scored 13 goals as a defender. He is very important for us but the most important thing is the team. Mourtada Fall is a very important player for us just like the other players. I am very happy that Fall is with us."

Kelechi Iheanacho says Leicester City proved their hunger to win during Saturday’s Premier League outing against Brighton and Hove Albion.

Having been pegged back by Adam Lallana’s 10th minute strike, Brendan Rodgers’ team bounced back to record their 16th win of the 2020-21 campaign.

The Nigeria international levelled matters for the Foxes in the 62nd minute - lifting the ball past goalkeeper Robert Sanchez – after receiving a pass from Youri Tielemans.

In the 87th minute, Ghana international Daniel Amartey sealed all points at stake for the King Power Stadium giants with his second English elite division goal, and first in 1540 days since netting against Stoke in December 2016.

Speaking to club's media men after the game, the former Manchester City forward spoke of their desire to win, which inspired their comeback in the last 45 minutes at the Falmer Stadium.

“We’re all delighted and happy,” Iheanacho told LCFC TV. “It was a little bit poor in the first half, but we came back in the second half.

“We had hunger in the second half, and we did the job. We came back, we equalised, and we got the win.

“I’m happy! I’m happy with the goal. I was composed and I just dipped it over the ‘keeper, so we’re happy.”

He also shed more light on his role against Graham Potter’s team following his partnership with 2019/20 Golden Boot winner Jamie Vardy, while reiterating Leicester City’s desire to avoid a slip from the second position.

“The manager said I can drop deep to get the ball,” he continued.

“Sometimes, I can make runs off Vards’ shoulder as well, so it’s a really good role for me to play.

“I like playing alongside Jamie. It’s working great for us.

“It’s a big win for us. We’re second in the table. It’s a massive win for us, so we’re happy.

“We need to get back now, work hard in training and in games, we need to show that we want it more than other teams.

“At the end of the season, we’ll see where we are. I’m happy with the way I’m playing. I just need to keep working hard and we’ll take it one game at a time and see how it goes.”

Leicester will welcome Sheffield United to the King Power Stadium next weekend as Brighton travel to Southampton.

Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says in-fighting must stop at Old Trafford following the spat between Marcus Rashford and Harry Maguire last week.

Rashford and Maguire hit headlines in the wake of United's 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace on Wednesday after being involved in a heated verbal exchange that went viral on social media.

Solskjaer addressed the incident ahead of the Red Devils' short trip to Manchester City this weekend, urging his players not to let their emotions get the better of them on the pitch.

What's been said?

The Norwegian head coach told Sky Sports: "Sometimes it has boiled over into frustration when it hasn't worked our way, we've got to stop that, the frustration on the pitch.

"We want to win but don't let it affect your desire to do well. Don't let it affect your confidence or the team spirit."

What sparked the row between Rashford & Maguire?

Around the 69th minute mark of United's stalemate with Palace, Maguire attempted to drive the team forward by playing a lofted pass through to Rashford, who was subsequently flagged offside.

The Red Devils captain could then be heard shouting at his colleague to "f******g stay onside", which sparked an angry response as Rashford snapped back "shut the f*** up, f*****g knobhead".

Maguire dismissed any bad blood between the pair after the game, telling The Sun: "You pick up these things as there is no crowd in the stadium.

"But we are always shouting at each other in games. I have full respect for Marcus and he has full respect for myself.

"We did not even confront each other after the game because it happens that much in training and in games."

Where are United in the Premier League table?

United slipped 14 points behind City in the Premier League title race after dropping points at Palace, and Leicester City leapfrogged them into second following their victory at Brighton on Saturday.

The Red Devils have only won one of their last five matches and must beat City on Sunday to get their season back on track, with Solskjaer well aware that his team need to kick onto the next level after re-establishing themselves as a major force.

"Of course, we are disappointed in the points we have lost lately," added the United boss. "We go into every game trying to win.

"This team has come a long, long way and of course we need to take the next step. But, say, six or seven months back no one would even mention the word title when talking about us.

"That makes me smile, it makes me happy that we have been performing better than people expected.

"We expect ourselves to win every game, we expect to go into this game and create enough chances to win."

Further reading

Orlando Pirates coach Joseph Zinnbauer says he no longer has a selection headache following the return of key forwards Frank Mhango and Tshegofatso Mabasa from injury.

The pair featured in Pirates’ last two league games, against Bloemfontein Celtic and Chippa United, although they played cameo roles in those games.

The injury crisis up front saw the German tactician playing the likes of Thembinkosi Lorch, Deon Hotto and Azola Tshobeni as number nines.

Although other strikers Zakhele Lepasa and Jean-Marc Makusu are still out injured, Zinnbauer admitted that he no longer feels the burden as in recent weeks.

“I have had a headache before in the last weeks without strikers. It was more headache unlike now,” Zinnbauer told the media.

“Yes it’s coming closer now but you see Tshego [Mabasa] and Gaba [Mhango] need more time.

"Gaba works very hard but you can see he is not the old Gaba we had before and Tshego as well. But I am happy about this I have no headache about these players coming back. No, I go forward.

“Now I have to fight and the fight is always good for us when we have some competition in the squad and now we can move forward.”

What is also pleasing Zinnbauer is that Pirates are now second on the Premier Soccer League standings after dismissing Chippa United 3-0 on Saturday.

The victory away in Gqeberha was a follow-up to the narrow mid-week 1-0 win over Bloemfontein Celtic, as they edged closer to securing a Caf Champions League spot for next season.

For the first time since November 2020, Pirates have managed to complete two league matches with successive wins after beating Chippa and Celtic.

“The situation in football is always changing you cannot say the performance is very well at the snap of the fingers. It’s always changing,” continued Zinnbauer.

“The last time we played against 10 men [Celtic] and I was frustrated we did not have top performance but the results. But now it’s better we always need a bit of a wake-up call and when we have the results then we have no problems for the coach.”

Pirates now prepare to leave for Ghana where they will play their opening Caf Confederation Cup group match against Algerian side ES Setif on March 10.

Pep Guardiola has admitted that he was not proud of his "unrecognisable" Manchester City side at the start of the season.

City are marching relentlessly towards their fifth Premier League title at the moment, having opened up a 12-point lead over second-placed Leicester City with a game in hand still to play.

The Blues were ninth in the table and eight points behind leaders Liverpool after a 1-1 with West Brom in December, but Guardiola has overseen a remarkable run of 21 successive wins since that fixture, having been forced to lay down the law during a testing period.

What's been said?

"It was not just that specific West Brom game. It was the last games before West Brom," Guardiola told Sky Sports ahead of City's derby clash with Manchester United at Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

"Always I am a spectator - I am a manager but a spectator. I want to enjoy, I want to see my team playing the way the team must play, and I didn't watch it for a long, long time.

"I lost in Barcelona, I lost in Munich, but always I recognise my team, and in that period, I could not recognise it, I didn't like it.

"Sometimes we have one or two days to reflect, I talked with my backroom staff, we discussed many things and talked about the process of what to do.

"I said 'guys, we did it here in England, we did it in Germany and Spain as well, so we just come back to our principles, do what we have to do and try to do it again'.

"There's no guarantee to win games but at least we'll be proud, we'll recognise what we want to be, the way we want to live, and after, it's one game, another win, the confidence rises, the trust rises and that helps us to be in the position we are."

City's remarkable resurgence

City only picked up 20 points from their opening 12 Premier League fixtures, but have won their next 15 to storm clear of their rivals at the top of the standings.

Arsenal, Tottenham, Liverpool and Chelsea have all been swept aside during that run, while progress has also been made in the FA Cup, Carabao Cup and Champions League.

Guardiola's men saw off United at Old Trafford to reach the final of the League Cup and avoided upsets against Cheltenham and Swansea to progress to the FA Cup quarter-finals.

City have also put one foot in the last eight of the Champions League by beating Borussia Monchengladbach 2-0 in the first leg of their round of 16 tie.

The bigger picture

Guardiola will almost certainly pick up the third Premier League crown of his reign at the Etihad come May, and his side are also on course to emulate their 2018-19 domestic treble heroics.

The possibility of an unprecedented quadruple is still on the cards too, and if Guardiola can keep the core of his squad intact over the coming weeks few would bet against him ending the club's long wait for glory in Europe's elite competition.

Further reading

Atletico Madrid will welcome city rivals Real Madrid in a La Liga outing hoping to get maximum points to maintain the gap at the top of the table.

However, the visitors will not be letting the points go easily considering the fact that it will hurt their chances of winning the league title in the ongoing campaign.

Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid Latest Odds 

The hosts have been enjoying a relatively good run at home and have managed to claim maximum points in three out of five recent league matches. They are tipped to defeat their sworn rivals at (2.66) with Bet9ja.

Los Blancos have won their last three league games on the road. They are backed to continue with their run at (2.83).

Chances of the game ending in a draw are tipped at (3.10).

Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid Team News

Kieran Trippier is available for the hosts after serving his suspension, however, having spent two months out, he might not start the game. Los Rojiblancos might be welcoming Yannick Carrasco back but Jose Maria Gimenez is still injured.  

Real Madrid will welcome back striker Karim Benzema, however, Sergio Ramos, Dani Carvajal, and Eden Hazard remain sidelined.

Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid Match Preview

Los Rojiblancos have failed to win any of their last nine league games against Los Blancos. They have lost four times and drawn the remaining five which is their longest run without a victory in a derby under Diego Simeone.

The hosts have failed to score in their last three Madrid Derbies against their rivals in La Liga since Antoine Griezmann's goal in February 2019.

The Zinedine Zidane-led charges have not lost any of their three games at Wanda Metropolitano in La Liga, having won once and drawn twice. Currently, they remain the only team to have played in the new Rojiblanco venue without losing in the competition.

Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid Tips and Prediction

Real Madrid have won two out of the last four league meetings against Atletico Madrid.

The remaining two matches have ended in draws. In the four matches, Real Madrid have scored six goals and conceded just one.

Therefore, Pundits can take an offer of under 2.5 goals in the game priced at (1.55) with Bet9ja.

Under 2.5 goals at (1.55) with Bet9ja.

Odds correct at the time of writing. Please gamble responsibly 

Manchester United "depend too much" on Bruno Fernandes, according to ex-Sporting boss Carlos Carvalhal, who says the Red Devils must raise their game as a "collective".

Fernandes has been a talismanic performer for the Red Devils since joining the club from Sporting for €55 million (£47m/$66m) in January 2019.

The 26-year-old's individual brilliance has often dragged Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side over the finishing line in matches, with Carvalhal of the opinion that they are still a team lacking cohesion across the rest of the pitch.

What's been said?

“I think it’s not good in any team in the world if you depend too much on one player, so this is not good of course,” the current Braga manager, who coached Sporting in 2009-10, told talkSPORT.

“The best thing would be for the team to work together as a collective, because Manchester United have a lot of players who can be a threat, not just Fernandes.

“When a team depends too much on one player it can be very difficult to achieve something, because opponents find a way to block that player, sometimes the player can get injured or suspended, so you can’t depend on one player.

“Football is a collective game, it’s about 11 players. And while it’s important to have individual players to win a game, you need all the players.

“If you don’t depend so much on one player, and every player makes a difference, you can beat any team.”

Fernandes' impact on United's 2020-21 campaign

Fernandes instantly adapted to his new surroundings in Manchester after leaving Portugal last year, and ended up inspiring United's run to a third-place Premier League finish.

The playmaker has taken his game to even greater heights this term, contributing 22 goals and 13 assists to the club's cause in 40 appearances across all competitions.

His influence in the final third has helped the Red Devils rise to third in the top flight once again and reach the latter stages of both the FA Cup and Europa League.

Fernandes is being touted as the favourite to win this year's PFA Player of the Year award after an outstanding first full season at Old Trafford, which supporters will be hoping ends with United lifting their first major trophy since 2017.

The bigger picture

United's title challenge has already fallen off the rails, and they will slip into the battle for Champions League qualification if they can't pick up a positive result against leaders Manchester City on Sunday.

Solskjaer's men are winless in their seven matches against the 'Big Six' so far, and Fernandes is still looking for his first goal from open play in a top-of-the-table fixture.

The Red Devils tend to struggle when the Portuguese is off his game, as Carvalhal alluded to, and that trend will have to change in order for the club to achieve tangible success come May.

Further reading

Express FC defender Murushid Juuko has stated the reason he things they have enjoyed a good run in the Ugandan Premier League this campaign.

The Red Eagles have started the season on a high note and are currently the only unbeaten side in the top-tier after Mbarara City shattered the run of champions Vipers SC, following a 1-0 win at Kakyeka Stadium on Saturday.

The defeat suffered by the Venoms left Express leading the table on 28 points from 12 matches, a point more than the champions.

The veteran Ugandan international defender has now explained why he thinks they have enjoyed a good run in the league, insisting more is to come from the squad which is handled by Wasswa Bbosa.

“I think it’s been hard work from the start [pre-season], we’ve been following the technical team’s instructions to the latter but also the bond we have as players at the club is fantastic so I am glad we’ve achieved all this and more is to come,” Juuko told the club’s official website.

Juuko, who has managed 1080 minutes for Express since the season started and has one league goal to his name, has marshalled the backline which has seen the Red Eagles concede only six times in the 12 unbeaten games played so far.

The 26-year-old has also been summoned to the Uganda squad ahead of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Burkina Faso and Malawi, where the Cranes need a win to seal qualification and for him, playing in a third consecutive Afcon tournament would be a huge achievement for the country.

“It’s a good feeling for me to have played at two straight Afcons and aiming to play at a third edition,” Juuko told the same portal on his call-up to the national team.

“Honestly we need to work as a team to achieve it.

“We also need to follow the coaches’ instructions to the dot, making it to another Afcon showpiece will be a dream come true to all Ugandans.”

Express will next face a short trip away to take on UPDF in a league match at Bombo Military Stadium on Tuesday.

Ghana's Black Stars captain Andre Ayew joined his countrymen to celebrate the nation's triumph at the 2021 U20 Africa Cup of Nations on Saturday.

On Ghana's Independence Day, the West Africans handed Uganda a 2-0 defeat at Stade Municipal in the Mauritanian capital of Nouakchott to win the cup.

Captain Daniel Afriyie Barnieh registered both goals in the fixture.

It is the Black Satellites' fourth title following successes in 1993, 1999 and 2009.

Ayew, who scored twice to help Swansea City to a 2-1 win over Middlesbrough on Saturday and who led Ghana to win their last U20 Afcon title in 2009, posted after the game:

"Congratulations boys. Africa u20 champions !!!you have made the nation proud!10 years later and it’s coming home. May Allah bless you all and bless you with a great future and don’t stop, it’s just the beginning. Proud nation."

Leicester City defender Daniel Amartey, whose 88th-minute header earned the club a 2-1 win over Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League on Saturday, simply tweeted: "Congrats, Black Satellites".

Crystal Palace midfielder Jeffrey Schlupp, Columbus Crew captain Jonathan Mensah and Anderlecht midfielder Majeed Ashimeru also congratulated the Black Satellites.

Below are some reactions:

Unai Emery’s pre-match bullishness before Villarreal travelled to Valencia on Friday night was quite noteworthy.

For a manager whose team’s winless run in La Liga read seven games, he seemed pretty assured when he addressed the remote media before the derby at the Mestalla.

“A derby is always a very special game. Games between Valencia and Villarreal have always been vibrant and exciting,” Emery asserted in Thursday’s press conference. “We’ve dropped down a couple of places. We want to recover, compete and fight to be in Europe.

“We have continued to work on dynamics where the team is comfortable. We have to improve on certain errors that we have committed. [On Friday], we will try and put it into practice. It is a game that excites all of us.”

Much of that positive disposition was a consequence of the Yellow Submarine’s performance in their 2-0 defeat by Atletico Madrid on Sunday night. Despite dominating Diego Simeone’s side at the Estadio de la Ceramica, Emery’s men somehow conceded two goals against the run of play.

The returning Samuel Chukwueze was one of Villarreal’s bright spots against Atleti on his first La Liga start since January. Strangely, the side didn’t secure maximum points in the top flight in the winger’s absence but he rewarded Emery’s choice to start him with a lively performance.

No player on the pitch fashioned out more shooting opportunities than the Nigerian’s four, who made the most of his dribbling ability on the night to find space. He completed a game-high four dribbles against the side from Madrid and his showing saw him rewarded as the Budweiser Man of the Match despite ending on the losing side.

The fact Chukwueze played the entire 90 minutes was a rarity in itself and it validated the quality performance of the West African against Los Colchoneros. It was only the second time the 21-year-old has stayed on the pitch for the whole game, having been withdrawn on five occasions after starting, but he made it three after Friday’s derby.

Defeat by Valencia hurt a visibly disappointed Emery who was four minutes away from success before a late Los Che turnaround turned the game on its head.

A Carlos Soler penalty with four minutes of normal time to play and brilliant Goncalo Guedes finish with three minutes to play cancelled out Gerard Moreno’s first-half opener to extend their winless La Liga run to eight games.

Friday’s showing was different from Sunday’s performance in that Valencia just about edged possession (52-48) and out-shot the visitors significantly (25-10). Be that as it may, Emery’s team created better chances throughout the game and, at least, deserved a point despite facing a barrage of shots from the hosts.

Chukwueze may have been on the pitch for the whole game but he faded after half-time at the Mestalla. Perhaps his manager left him on the pitch owing to an encouraging first-half display in which he was involved in some of the away side’s best moments.

He drifted infield from his wide right position in the seventh minute and dragged his shot wide from a tight angle having been slipped through. Largely hugging the line in Villareal’s 4-4-2, the young winger was often isolated on that flank owing to Juan Foyth’s unwillingness to push forward from right-back.

Still, Chukwueze’s tactical obligation to stay wide very nearly led to the opening goal for the visitors in the 36th minute where a cross found him in acres of space, and he set up his teammate for a big chance only to have Jose Gaya clear off the line.

The wide attacker smartly positioned himself away from the bodies in the box and was denied a third league assist by brilliant defending from the covering defender.

Regardless of the immediate disappointment, a penalty was strangely awarded against Gaya who’d unwittingly handled from the initial cross in the build-up. Moreno scored from the spot to put the Yellow Submarine 1-0 up in the 40th minute.

Five minutes later, the Nigerian’s speed and upper body strength saw him outpace and outmuscle Hugo Guillamon before setting up Paco Alcacer, but the striker was thwarted by Jasper Cillessen. Making it 2-0 just before the break would have put Villarreal in a perfect position going into the second half and they were to rue that missed opportunity in the end as Valencia rallied after the break.

A dissatisfied Emery lamented missed opportunities in both halves in his post-match interview, suggesting his side missed the chance to pick up maximum points and end their poor run.

“It is a missed opportunity to claim the three points. Victory has escaped us in the end,” the Valencia boss reflected following the game. “We may not have started the game well, but we have had chances and, with 0-1, we have not been able to secure the result. In the last minutes, the penalty play gave them strength and the last counterattack gave them the winning goal.”

Despite the loss, the performance of Chukwueze and opportunities created in the last two games indicate that the Yellow Submarine may turn the corner sooner rather than later.

Former Orlando Pirates winger Dikgang Mabalane says he was especially impressed by Deon Hotto, Paseka Mako and Ben Motshwari in Bucs' 3-0 league win away at Chippa United on Saturday.

Hotto registered the first goal of the night at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium and Motshwari the third, either side of an own goal by Riaan Hanamub.

In his first season at Pirates after signing from Bidvest Wits, former Bloemfontein Celtic winger Hotto has scored six goals and registered seven assists in all competitions for Bucs.

Mabalane has praised the Namibian's impact, and also spoke highly of central midfielder Motshwari, another former Wits player, as well as left sided wing-back Paseka Mako – who provided the assist for the final goal.

"This was one of the games when I think they have used the quality they have in the team," Mabalane said in his role as a SuperSport TV panelist.

"The likes of Hotto coming into his game. And as well as Ben Motshwari.

"For me this is now a team that is using the quality of the players they have acquired. Now they are coming to the fore.

"We look at Hotto. Mako. Ben Motshwari. And for me those players make so much difference to the Pirates team.

"Especially when you look at Hotto, he gives them so much dynamism going forward, options going forward.

"If he's not playing on the right cutting in, to shoot, he's playing out and out right. He unlocks defences with his runs and that is the dimension he brings to the team, the luxury of the squad."

The victory over the Chilli Boys has lifted Josef Zinnbauer’s Bucs side up to second spot on the league standings.

The Sea Robbers are just one point behind Mamelodi Sundowns, although they’ve played 20 matches, four more than Downs’ 16 in the league.

The curse of the first leg continued to haunt head coach Antonio Habas as his team ATK Mohun Bagan failed to pick up a victory in the 2020-21 ISL semi-final tie against NorthEast United on Saturday. 

Habas is yet to taste victory in the first leg of the playoffs, having drawn and lost two games each so far in the history of the ISL. But it must be noted that on two out of the three previous occasions, his teams managed to come back in the second leg, progress to the final and lift the ISL trophy. 

This time around, the contest against NorthEast United was thrown away right at the end. David Williams scored in the 34th minute of the game to put his team into the lead. That one-goal lead was the cue for the best defence in the league this season to tighten up at the back and prepare to survive a second-half onslaught. 

While there was no onslaught on display after the break, after a sustained period of pressure, the Highlanders finally managed to breach the Bagan defence in added time. Substitute Idrissa Sylla, who played the ball to Luis Machado on the right flank, timed a good run to the centre of the box to head the Portuguese winger's cross into the net.

The defence that had stood firm for most of the game, fell apart with just one accurate cross and a good run into the box and that was all that Khalid Jamil needed. The Highlanders are now unbeaten for 11 consecutive matches this season and Jamil. since taking over the club in January, is yet to taste defeat. 

The match got off to a cagey start and both teams remained cautious about not leaving space behind for the forwards to attack. There were no surprises in the Bagan lineup but Jamil opted to tinker with his team.

The impressive Ashutosh Mehta was fielded as a right-winger in the first half, with Nim Dorjee occupying his usual right-back slot and VP Suhair being deployed as the striker. With Deshorn Brown out due to an injury, it was ultimately Sylla, who was also not fully fit, who came on in the second half got the job done for the Highlanders. 

The Bagan defence was able to deal with whatever the Highlanders threw at them for most of the game. There was also no worries for Benjamin Lambot and co. to deal with the other end of the field. Such was the tempo of the game.

While clear-cut chances were few and far between, Ashutosh Mehta was involved in a big chance for NorthEast United at the stroke of half-time when he headed a Fedrico Gallego free-kick onto the crossbar. The tempo of the game would have shifted had that gone in but it was not to be. 

Bagan's defence-first approach has yielded results this season so there is no reason for Habas to set his team up differently for the second leg. Roy Krishna, who averages 4.85 touches per game inside the opposition box this season, managed just three such touches against the Highlanders. Both teams will need to step up their game in the final third if they are to get a favourable result in the second leg without going into a penalty shootout. 

From football legend Diego Maradona to Fabrice Muamba and many other professional athletes, heart problems have ended careers and in some cases, tragically their lives. 

Indian football received its biggest shock in recent years when U-17 World Cupper Anwar Ali, a young defender who is only 19 years old, was diagnosed with Apical Hypercardio myopathy. 

He joined Mumbai City for a then-record fee of INR 30 lakh for an 18-year-old but since getting diagnosed with a heart problem, the youngster has not been able to make any progress in his career. 

He was advised not to play by medical experts in Mumbai and France. AIFF had consulted AFC's (Asian Football Confederation) Medical Committee Chairman, Dr Dato Gurucharan Singh, and the medical practitioner stated that it would be best for Anwar Ali to refrain from participating in competitive sports.

Professor Sanjay Sharma, chairman of the Cardiology Consensus Panel for England's FA, however, suggested that since the risk is not very high, Anwar and his family should be made aware of the same and the final decision to play should be left to them. 

Heart problem among footballers has been a topic up for discussion for two decades. The major football governing bodies across the globe has made medical tests mandatory and medical experts also have opined that tests should be done regularly as heart issues can happen to anybody regardless of their physical fitness level. 

Goal spoke to Dr Prof Ranjan Shetty, the HOD & Consultant in Interventional Cardiology at Manipal Hospitals, Bengaluru, to find out more about heart problems that athletes deal with.

"There are two kinds of diseases we need to focus on. Hypercardio myopathy (HCM) - this is found in one in 500 people. It is a common anomaly, it is a genetic issue where heart muscles become thicker, for most people it isn't a big issue. Especially for young athletes, it is common," Shetty revealed.

He further added, "Beyond 35, the common condition would be heart attacks because of blockages. Athletes are meticulous and exercise regularly but they could also have blocks because of cholesterol and family history.

"Even people with smaller blocks, 30-40 per cent block also, the covering of the block ruptures. The reason for that could be extreme excitement. The actual attack. is like an earthquake, it could happen to anyone."

Proper tests are the only way to find out an issue like HCM. It needs to be ruled out regularly at various stages of a footballer's life to avoid complications. 

"Most footballers going into competitive football should get Electrocardiogram (ECG) and Echo (Echocardiogram) done. Especially if family members have had cardiac arrests, they must do ECG and Echo so that HCM can be ruled out.

"To prevent other heart diseases, they should be careful with their lifestyle. They (footballers) exercise very well, but too much exercise without proper training can also cause issues. Sometimes people forget these things. Extreme exercise of any nature can hurt heart muscles so don't overdo it. Warm-ups and cool-downs are also extremely important."

The situation regarding heart problems among athletes is not too different in India compared to the rest of the world. It is still as common but there is a lack of awareness among sportspersons. 

"In India also, it is one in 500 but not everyone is at high risk. It is still common in young athletes in India. It is not about stopping them from playing. That person could be at low risk. High-risk ones are bad, but most of them are low risk.

"If the MRI shows zero scars, then there is nothing to worry about. if it shows more than 10 per cent scar, then he will need more care. Risk certifying is extremely important when dealing with HCM. 

Every athlete needs to be tested when they are starting out their professional career. Even if the results are negative, they should get tested every five years because there is no particular age at which complications can arrive. 

"When you have so many athletes, you will find many with HCM. If they find nothing, they can repeat the tests every five years. Otherwise, yearly tests could be needed."

"In HCM, the genes may not manifest young, they could manifest later. If it does later, this disease will be milder. The more dangerous ones come up at a younger age. 

"There is one more disease ARVD (Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia), that is the second most common (In the world), and the most common in Italy. Everywhere else, HCM is the most common.

"What Sourav (Ganguly) has is atherosclerosis, which is more common in India. That is more due to the lifestyle in India and the diets. Excess carbs, less protein and all that," Shetty explained. 

If you or your friends are athletes, ensure that you have completed an ECG and Echo at least at the age of 18 and a cholesterol checkup at 21. And most importantly, don't panic. 

Goals from Kelechi Iheanacho and Daniel Amartey powered Leicester City to a 2-1 triumph over Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday.

The Seagulls had taken a first half lead at the Falmer Stadium, nevertheless, the African duo found the net in the second half to inspire the Foxes to victory.

Graham Potter’s men came into the English Premier League tie with the ambition of ending their poor streak, while visitors were aiming to brighten their Champions League ambition.

Ten minutes into the game, Adam Lallana put Brighton ahead after profiting from an assist from Neal Maupay. Having won the ball back from a Leicester throw in and Maupay does well by holding off the challenge of a couple of defenders, he flicked the ball through to an unmarked Lallana who slotted the ball past Kasper Schmeichel.

That goal was a reality check for Brendan Rodgers’ men who bounced back from their slumber, albeit, were unable to put the ball past Robert Sanchez.

Before the interval, the hosts had two chances to double their advantage, with Lallana first glancing header hitting the post and then Maupay finding the net, only for his effort to be ruled out for offside.

The King Power Stadium giants got the second half to a promising start with Iheanacho smashing into the side-netting after getting a pass from Timothy Castagne.

Their doggedness paid off in the 62nd minute after the Nigerian controlled a Youri Tielemans pass before lifting the ball past goalkeeper Sanchez.

With that strike, the former Manchester City wonderkid has now scored in each of his last two English topflight appearances, having netted in just one of his previous 17 in the tournament.

Three minutes from full time, Ghanaian star Amartey sealed the win from Marc Albrighton’s assist for his second ever Premier League goal, and first in 1540 days since netting against Stoke in December 2016.

After a notable shift, man-of-the-match Iheanacho was substituted for Hamza Choudhury in the 90th minute, while his compatriot Wilfred Ndidi and Amartey played from start to finish.

Saturday’s result takes Rodgers’ team up to second in the log, while Brighton are in a battle at the bottom, as they remain just three points above the relegation zone.

Jurgen Klopp has insisted that his Liverpool side will never abandon their pursuit of a top-four place in the Premier League in order to focus on the Champions League. 

The Reds have slipped to seventh in the league table after a miserable run of form, and currently find themselves four points behind fourth-place Chelsea.

Klopp's side are still in good shape in Europe though, having defeated RB Leipzig 2-0 in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 matchup.

What has been said?

"I can't think about winning the Champions League now as we have to go through this difficult round," Klopp said.

"This week we play these three games, late in the season, with two days in between, Thursday, Sunday and Wednesday, and it is tough.

"We see who we can field on Sunday and then who can play on Wednesday but it is not that we gave up on the Premier League, that will never happen.

"There is no game we can play and lose and people say, 'Ah ... look at the line-up.'

"Liverpool is too big, too many people are interested. We don't play behind closed doors really without cameras, it is in front of our people and we feel the responsibility that in each game we have to give our absolute everything to win it.

"If that doesn't happen then people will think, 'that's not enough'. We don't change our attitude."

The bigger picture

Liverpool's Premier League title defence has all but ended, with the Reds sitting 22 points back of Pep Guardiola's high-flying Manchester City. 

Klopp's men will end the season without any domestic silverware, having also been eliminated from the FA Cup and Carabao Cup. 

That leaves the Champions League as their last hope at winning a trophy in 2020-21, with Liverpool hoping to make it two European titles in three seasons.

Winning the Champions League could also be their only route back into next season's competition should they fail to finish in the top four of the Premier League.

After they face Fulham in Premier League play on Sunday, Liverpool will take on RB Leipzig on Wednesday in Budapest in the second leg of their last-16 tie. 

Further reading

Ilaix Moriba said he'll never forget his first Barcelona goal and "will take it to my grave" after he scored in a 2-0 win against Osasuna on Saturday.

The 18-year-old collected Lionel Messi’s pass on the edge of the area before cutting on his left foot and curling a wonderful effort into the top corner, doubling Barca's advantage after Jordi Alba's first-half strike.

The win moved Ronald Koeman’s side to within two points of leaders Atletico Madrid, who take on their city rivals Real on Sunday.

What did Moriba say?

Moriba only made his senior debut in January against Cornella in the Copa del Rey, but impressed Koeman enough to stay in and around the first-team squad.

He made his La Liga debut against Alaves at the start of the month, with Saturday’s clash against Osasuna just his fifth senior appearance.

“Leo gave me a good pass and I don’t know how I cut and shot with the left, and thank God it went in," he told Barca TV. 

"I will never forget this and I will take it to my grave. There’s competition for places but it doesn’t matter if you are young or not. If you play well you’re in the team.

"The older players help us, give us advice, Leo tells me to get in the area as often as I can and get in positions to shoot.

“I want to dedicate this goal to my father and La Masia, where I have learned a lot from.”

Moriba also insisted that Barcelona had not given up on the title, despite leaders Atletico having two games in hand.

“La Liga isn’t over for us,” added the midfielder, who at 18 years and 46 days is the youngest player to score from outside the box in La Liga this season. "We will fight till the end. That is the DNA they taught us at La Masia.”

Moriba the future of Barca - Koeman

Koeman was full of praise for the teenager after the game, saying he believes he can be a Barca regular for years to come.

"Ilaix scored a goal in a difficult match, with the second goal we killed off the game. Every time Moriba enters the pitch he brings something extra,” said the Dutchman.

"Players like Pedri, Ilaix, Riqui [Puig], [Ronald] Araujo and [Oscar] Mingueza are the future of the club.

"Ilaix is young, but is physically very strong. He's gaining ground to be with the first team more often."

Further reading