European Football

[taz]

FT: Palermo 5-1 Lazio

Palermo crushed a depleted Lazio to move upto 8th in Serie A. Lazio, meanwhile, drop to 4th after this demoralising defeat. Palermo took the lead 10 minutes in with a 25 yard drive from Edgar Barreto. Massimo Donati made it 2-0 on 20 minutes with a superb effort from range which was too strong for Federico Marchetti. 3 minutes before the break, the unmarked Matias Silvestre nodded home a Fabrizio Miccoli freekick to extend the lead. Palermo continued with the scoring 2 minutes into the 2nd half when Barreto found Igor Budan and the Croatian slotted the ball beyond Marchetti. 50 minutes on the clock and it was 5-0. Josip Ilicic set up Miccoli to fire home. Things got worse for Lazio when Andre Dias was shown a 2nd yellow for bringing down Franco Vazquez. With 7 minutes to go, Lazio ensured Emiliano Viviano did not keep a clean sheet when Palermo failed to clear their lines and Libor Kozak took advantage to fire the ball past Viviano.

Italian Serie A

Matchday 24 of 38

Friday 17 February

Inter 0-3 Bologna
Fiorentina 0-3 Napoli

Saturday 18 February

Juventus 3-1 Catania

Sunday 19 February

Lecce 4-1 Siena
Novara 0-0 Atalanta
Genoa 0-1 Chievo
Cesena 1-3 Milan
Roma 1-0 Parma
Udinese 0-0 Cagliari
Palermo 5-1 Lazio

Matchday 24 Roundup

Milan (50) remain top after victory at Cesena. Juventus (49) remain 2nd with a game in hand after beating Catania last night. Udinese (42) have moved upto 3rd after their draw with Cagliari. Lazio (42) have slipped to 4th after a crushing defeat at Palermo with Roma (38) moving upto 5th after beating Parma.

The relegation zone contains the same 3 temas but Cesena (16) have slipped to the foot of the tbale after defeat to Milan albeit with a game in hand. Novara (17) are 19th after drawing with Atalanta. Lecce (21) remain in the drop zone but are only 2 points behind 17th placed Siena.

[taz]

FT: Barcelona 5-1 Valencia

Barcelona completely dominated Valencia at Camp Nou in a match which saw Lionel Messi score 4 times. Valencia took the shock lead 9 minutes in when a Sofiane Feghouli cross caused a mix up between Gerard Pique and Martin Montoya and allowed Pablo Piatti to sneak in and score. Barcelona equalised midway through the half when a Pedro cross was not cleared by Adil Rami and Victor Ruiz and allowed Messi to slot the ball past Diego Alves from a tight angle. Messi made it 2-1 5 minutes later when Andres Iniesta played a through ball for Eric Abidal down the left and his cross was diverted goalwards by Messi, Diego Alves spilled the ball and Messi was there to make no mistake at the 2nd time of asking. Midway through the 2nd half, Victor Valdes had to be alert to make a fantastic save from a point blank Feghouli shot. With 15 to go, Messi played Cristian Tello through whose shot was blocked by Diego Alves but Messi lashed in the rebound to complete his hat trick. With 5 to go, Messi made it 4-1 when he latched onto a Sergio Busquets through ball and lobbed the ball beyond Diego Alves. In stoppage time, Xavi completed the scoring by lifting the ball over Diego Alves for an impressive victory.

[taz]

FT: Paris St Germain 2-2 Montpellier

The top of the table clash ended all square at Parc des Princes. The draw means PSG remain top by a point. Montpellier went close 10 minutes in when John Utaka saw his header saved by Salvatore Sirigu and Sirigu also palmed the ball away before Olivier Giroud could pounce. Midway through the half, Nene set up Kevin Gameiro who tested Geoffrey Jourdren. PSG took the lead 5 minutes before the break when Nene played the ball to tender Alex to fire home a swerving 30 yard shot leaving Jourdren with no chance. On the stroke of half time, Montpellier equalised when Younes Belhanda headed home a Hilton cross. With 12 minutes to go, Guillaume Hoarau found Javier Pastore in a promisng psition but he shot wide. With 8 minutes to go, Montpellier took the lead when Giroud's cross was headed home by Utaka. WIth 2 minutes to go, PSG equalised when great work from Jeremy Menez saw Hoarau tap home the equaliser.

French Ligue 1

Matchday 24 of 38

Saturday 18 February

Ajaccio 0-0 Brest
Caen 2-2 Evian
Dijon 3-0 Nice
Lorient 0-1 Lille
Sochaux 0-0 Auxerre
Nancy 0-3 Toulouse
Marseille 1-1 Valenciennes

Sunday 19 February

Bordeaux 1-0 Lyon
St Etienne 4-0 Rennes
Paris St Germain 2-2 Montpellier

Matchday 24 Roundup

Paris St Germain (51) lead by a point to Montpellier (50) after their respective draw. Lille (42) remain 3rd after victory at Lorient albeit with a game in hand. Marseille (39) are 4th with a game in hand after their draw with Valenciennes.

Sochaux & Nice (both 20) remain in the relegation zone. Auxerre (21) are 18th 2 points behind Ajaccio.

[taz]

Spanish Primera Division

Matchday 24 of 38

Saturday 18 February

Getafe 1-1 Espanyol
Real Madrid 4-0 Racing Santander
Sevilla 2-0 Osasuna

Sunday 19 February

Granada 4-1 Real Sociedad
Athletic Bilbao 3-0 Malaga
Sporting Gijon 1-1 Atletico Madrid
Real Mallorca 4-0 Villarreal
Levante 3-5 Rayo Vallecano
Barcelona 5-1 Valencia

Monday 20 February

Real Zaragoza 0-2 Real Betis

Matchday 24 Roundup

Real Madrid (61) remain 10 points clear of Barcelona (51) after their respective victories. Despite the heavy defeat at Barca, Valencia (40) remain 3rd. Espanyol (33) have moved upto 4th after their draw with Getafe and Athletic Bilbao (33) are 5th after thrashing Malaga. Atletico Madrid (32) remain 6th after their 3rd successive draw.

The relegation zone remain the same. Zaragoza (15) rooted to the bottom after a disappointing home defeat against Real Betis. Sporting Gijon (20) remain 19th after their draw and Racing Santander (23) occupy 18th after the heavy defeat to Real Madrid and are 3 points behind Villarreal.

[taz]

FT: Bologna 2-0 Fiorentina

Bologna coming off a remarkable 3-0 win at Inter followed that up with a 2-0 victory today over Fiorentina. The win moves Bologna 7 points clear of the drop zone. Just before the half hour, Amauri played a 1-2 with Stevan Jovetic which put Amauri through on goal but he could only shoot straight at Jean Francois Gillet. Minutes later, the deadlock was broken when Marco Di Vaio played the ball to Alessandro Diamanti to score with a clever backheel. It was 2-0 minutes before the break when Di Vaio set up Gaston Ramirez who saw his initial shot blocked by Artur Boruc but Ramirez made no mistake on the rebound. Fiorentina were reduced to 10 men on 50 minutes when Ruben Olivera was shown a straight red for a pointless challenge on Diamanti.

[taz]

FT: Borussia Monchengladbach 1-1 Hamburg

Borussia Monchengladbach were only able to claim a point at home against Hamburg. The result puts Gladbach 2 clear of Bayern and 2 behind Dortmund ahead of Super Sunday. Gladbach nearly took the lead midway through the first half when Dennis Diekmeier had to clear a Roel Brouwers shot off the line. On the stroke of half time, the deadlock was broken when Mike Hanke headed home a Juan Arango freekick. Replays suggested that Hanke was offside. 10 minutes into the 2nd half, Hamburg equalised when Jose Paolo Guerrero headed the ball across for Tolgay Ali Arslan to score from close range. The result moves Hamburg upto 8th.

[taz]

FT: Cologne 0-2 Bayer Leverkusen

Bayer Leverkusen secured an impressive victory at Cologne to remain in the European spots. Bayer Leverkusen took the lead 16 minutes in when Stefan Reinartz saw his header come off the post and Vedran Corluka's goalbound effort was diverted home by Lars Bender. 5 minutes into the 2nd half, the game was finished when Renato Augusto played a delightful ball through for Bender to fire the ball home.

[taz]

FT: Malaga 5-1 Real Zaragoza

Malaga came from a goal down to thrash bottom club Real Zaragoza. The win moves Malaga upto 5th. Zaragoza took the lead midway through the first half when Carlos Aranda swept home an Angel Lafita cross. On the stroke of half time, Sebastian Fernandez headed home an Isco cross to equalise. Midway through the 2nd half, Malaga were 2-1 up when Paulo da Silva unfortunately diverted the ball into this own net. With 15 minutes to go, Martin Demichelis headed home a Joaquin corner for 3-1. Isco made it 4-1 with 10 minutes to go after latching onto a Salomon Rondon pass and with 2 minutes to go, Rondon diverted home a Nacho Monreal pass to complete the rout.

[taz]

FT: Espanyol 1-2 Levante

Espanyol suffered a disappointing defeat at home against Levante. Levante took the lead midway through the first half when Valdo latched onto an Arouna Kone pass and Valdo slotted the ball past Kiko Casilla. Midway through the 2nd half, Espanyol had a great chance to level but David Lopez smashed the ball over from a promising position. With 15 to go, Espanyol finally equalised. Joan Verdu floated in a freekick for Kalu Uche to head home. With a minute remaining, Levante scored the unlikely winner when Ruben Suarez drilled home an unstoppable 30 yard freekick.

[taz]

FT: Milan 1-1 Juventus

Milan and Juventus remain 1st and 2nd respectively after their draw at San Siro in a controversial affair. Milan took the lead 14 minutes in when Antonio Nocerino's shot from distance took a deflection off Leonardo Bonucci and wrongfooted Gianluigi Buffon. Juve equalised with 7 minutes to go when Alessandro Matri volleyed home a Simone Pepe cross. With a minute to go, Juve were reduced to 10 men when Arturo Vidal was sent off for a reckless challenge on Mark van Bommel.

[taz]

FT: Werder Bremen 0-1 Nuremberg

Nuremberg recorded an impressive victory at Bremen with the 3 points going towards securing safety in the Bundesliga. The winning goal came with 25 minutes to go when Alexander Esswein scored with a neat finish.

[taz]

FT: Lyon 4-4 Paris St Germain

Lyon and PSG played out a dramatic high scoring draw at Stade Gerland. The draw sees PSG overtook at the summit by Montpellier who earlier defeated Bordeaux. PSG took the lead 20 minutes in when Jeremy Menez did well on the right to take on 2 players before playing in a cross which Guillaume Hoarau fired home. On 34 minutes it was 1-1 when Bafetimbi Gomis volleyed home a floated ball by Kim Kallstrom leaving Salvatore Sirigu with no chance. 2 minutes later, Lyon turned it all around to lead 2-1 when a quick counter saw Jimmy Briand get beyond Maxwell and cross the ball for Lisandro Lopez to expertly volley home. 5 minutes before the break, it was 3-1 when a Kim Kallstrom corner was cleared by Thiago Motta but only as far as Michel Bastos to volley home a screamer. On the stroke of half time, PSG pulled a goal back when Maxime Gonalons brought down Nene for a penalty and the Brazilian stepped up to dispatch the penalty past Hugo Lloris. Just before the hour, Lyon restored their 2 goal cushion when Jimmy Briand headed home a Bastos corner. With 20 to go, PSG pulled another goal back. Nene flicked the ball to Hoarau who played the ball through for Ceara to slot the ball past Lloris albeit via a deflection. Then deep into stoppage time, PSG equalised when a Ceara freekick caused a goamouth scramble which resulted in Hoarau heading home the dramatic equaliser.

[taz]

FT: Excelsior 1-4 Ajax

Ajax were able to see off the challenge of bottom club Excelsior to ensure they remain in the hunt for a Champions League spot. Ajax broke the deadlock midway through the first half when Ricardo Van Rhijn got forward on the right and sent over a cross which Aras Ozbiliz diverted across goal into the bottom corner of the net. On the stroke of half time, Siem De Jong headed home a corner for 2-0. On the hour mark, Ozbiliz went close to getting his 2nd of the game but saw his effort strike the crossbar. Midway through the 2nd half, Excelsior pulled a goal back when Jurgen Mattheij headed home a corner. 3 minutes before the end, Ajax made the game safe when Christian Eriksen picked out De Jong who composed himself and lashed home a half volley. Jan Vertonghen completed the rout in stoppage time when he was allowed to roam forward and roll the ball into the net.

[taz]

I have been ill for the majority of the week so havent been able to post full roundups of the major European Leagues so i will just quickly post a general roundup of last weekend's action.

[taz]

Spanish Primera Division

Matchday 25 of 38

Saturday 25 February

Racing Santander 1-1 Sporting Gijon
Real Betis 1-1 Getafe
Malaga 5-1 Real Zaragoza
Espanyol 1-2 Levante

Sunday 26 February

Villarreal 2-2 Athletic Bilbao
Rayo Vallecano 0-1 Real Madrid
Valencia 1-2 Sevilla
Osasuna 2-1 Granada
Real Sociedad 1-0 Real Mallorca
Atletico Madrid 1-2 Barcelona

Matchday 25 Roundup

Real Madrid (64) remain 10 points clear of Barcelona (54) after respective victories. Valencia (40) remain 3rd after slipping to defeat at home against a resurgent Sevilla. Levante (35) have moved upto 4th after their last gasp victory over Espanyol. Athletic Bilbao (34) have slipped to 5th after drawing with Villareal while Malaga (34) move upto 6th after thrashing Real Zaragoza.

Real Zaragoza (15) look destined for relegation after their loss to Malaga leaves them 12 points from safety. 18th placed Racing Santander (24) and 19th placed Sporting Gijon (21) played out a respective draw with Villarreal (27) 17th.

[taz]

Italian Serie A

Matchday 25 of 38

Saturday 25 February

Genoa 2-2 Parma
Milan 1-1 Juventus

Sunday 26 February

Chievo 1-0 Cesena
Cagliari 1-2 Lecce
Catania 3-1 Novara
Siena 4-1 Palermo
Atalanta 4-1 Roma
Lazio 1-0 Fiorentina
Napoli 1-0 Inter
Bologna 1-3 Udinese

Matchday 25 Roundup

The top of the table clash between Milan (51) and Juventus (50) ended in a controversial draw. Juventus do have a game in hand. Udinese (45) remain 3rd after an impressive victory at Bologna. Lazio (45) remain 4th after beating Fiorentina. Napoli (40) have leapfrogged Roma in 5th after beating Inter.

Cesena (16) remain bottom after losing to Chievo. They are 10 points from safety and have a game in hand. Novara (17) remain 19th after being comfortably beaten by Catania while Lecce (24) recorded another victory keeping them 18th after 17th placed Siena (26) beat Palermo.

[taz]

German Bundesliga

Matchday 23 of 34

Friday 24 February

Borussia Monchengladbach 1-1 Hamburg

Saturday 25 February

Mainz 4-0 Kaiserslautern
Stuttgart 4-1 Freiburg
Cologne 0-2 Bayer Leverkusen
Wolfsburg 1-2 Hoffenheim
Augsburg 3-0 Hertha Berlin
Werder Bremen 0-1 Nuremberg

Sunday 26 February

Bayern Munich 2-0 Schalke
Borussia Dortmund 3-1 Hannover

Matchday 23 Roundup

Borussia Dortmund (52) remain top of the table after battling to victory against Hannover. Bayern Munich (48) have moved upto 2nd after beating 4th placed Schalke (44). Gladbach (47) have slipped to 3rd after a disappointing draw at home against Hamburg. Bayer Leverkusen (37) have moved upto 5th after beating Cologne away and Werder Bremen (36) have slipped to 6th after a surprising home defeat against Nuremberg.

Freiburg (18) remain bottom after another defeat this time away to Stuttgart. However, there have been changes. Augsburg (21) have moved upto 15th moving out of the relegation zone after beating fellow strugglers Hertha Berlin (20) who have slipped into the relegation playoff position. Kaiserslautern (18) have slipped into the drop zone after a crushing defeat at Mainz.

[taz]

French Ligue 1

Matchday 25 of 38

Saturday 25 February

Ajaccio 2-1 Dijon
Auxerre 0-0 St Etienne
Evian 2-0 Nancy
Montpellier 1-0 Bordeaux
Nice 1-0 Caen
Valenciennes 2-0 Lorient
Lyon 4-4 Paris St Germain

Sunday 26 February

Brest 1-0 Marseille
Toulouse 2-0 Sochaux
Rennes 1-1 Lille

Matchday 25 Roundup

There is a change at the summit as Montpellier (53) beat Bordeaux and Paris St Germain (52) salvaged a draw against Lyon in an entertaining affair means Montpellier lead at the top ahead of PSG. Lille (46) remain 3rd after throwing away a lead at Rennes in the final minute. St Etienne (43) remain 4th after drawing with Auxerre.

At the bottom, Sochaux (20) remain rooted to the spot after another defeat this time away to Toulouse. Auxerre (21) are 19th after drawing with St Etienne. Nancy have slipped (23) into the drop zone after losing to Evian and Nice (23) have moved out of the drop zone after beating Caen.

[RomaShield27]

This is a great move. Its one of the best things from rugby, and its such an easy thing to do. Football would be a lot better game if this was introduced everywhere.

http://www.fotball.no/nff/NFF-nyheter/F ... otballen-/

Norway FA to ban players from talking to refs
/ Friday 02 March 2012, 11:48

Norway's football association (NFF) plans to ban players from speaking to referees during matches, it said in a statement on its website.

"We are working towards a situation where only the captains can confer with referees during the game. Breaches will be punished with a yellow or red card," the NFF said.

The new rule was part of a new "Handshake for Peace" partnership with the Nobel Peace Centre to "promote the message of peace in society".

"Norwegian football stands for much that is positive in Norwegian society... [this] is a very important initiative that we will develop jointly," NFF secretary-general Kjetil Siem was quoted as saying.

[juventino_italiano]