Robert Lewandowski took his season tally to 30 goals to inspire Bayern Munich’s 3-0 win over ten-man Schalke in the German Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday (Mar 1).

Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski (R) celebrates with teammate Arjen Robben during their German Cup quarter-final football match against Schalke in Munich. (AFP/GUENTER SCHIFFMANN)

Having hit a hat-trick in last weekend’s 8-0 mauling of Hamburg at home, Lewandowski’s rich form continued at the Allianz Arena as he was involved in all three Bayern goals, scoring twice.

He is the Bundesliga’s joint top-scorer with 19 goals, alongside Borussia Dortmund’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, having also scored six times in the Champions League and five in the cup.

The Poland hot-shot gave holders Bayern the lead with just three minutes gone by deftly chipping Franck Ribery’s pass over Schalke goalkeeper Ralf Faehrmann.

He the turned provider by supplying the cross for attacking midfielder Thiago Alcantara to head home on 16 minutes.

Lewandowski then drilled Ribery’s pass into the Schalke net on 29 minutes for a seventh goal in his last four games.

Schalke defended well in the second half, but it was a miserable return to Munich for defender Holger Badstuber, on loan in Gelsenkirchen from Bayern until June.

The Germany centre-back was sent off late on for a second booking when he fouled Javi Martinez after pulling Arjen Robben’s shirt moments before.

The win keeps Bayern on course for the treble of Champions League, Bundesliga and German Cup this season and was their third-straight dominant display in Munich.

Their Champions League Round of 16, first-leg 5-1 hammering of Arsenal, who they face away in Tuesday’s return, was followed by the goal-bonanza against Hamburg.

Earlier, Borussia Moechengladbach booked their semi-final berth with a 2-1 win at Hamburg thanks to penalties by captain Lars Stindl and Brazilian striker Raffael.

Both Borussia Dortmund and third-division giant-killers Sportfreunde Lotte will go into the pot for the semi-finals after their clash on Tuesday was postponed by a heavy snowfall.

The referee deemed the playing surface in Lotte unsafe and the replay will take place on March 14.

The German Football Association (DFB) have reportedly advised Lotte to find an alternative ground given the poor condition of the pitch at their 10,000-capacity stadium.

Eintracht Frankfurt also reached the last four thanks to their 1-0 win at home to Arminia Bielefeld.

Midfielder Danny Blum scored Frankfurt’s first-half winner.

However, the night belonged to ex-captain Marco Russ, who came off the bench in added time to make his first appearance since battling cancer last year.

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Javier Pastore and Edinson Cavani both came off the bench to score late as French Cup holders Paris Saint-Germain waded past second-tier Niort 2-0 in a rain-soaked last-16 tie on Wednesday (Mar 1).

The Argentine midfielder bundled in a free-kick from Christopher Nkunku on 78 minutes before Cavani struck his 36th goal of the season deep into stoppage time as PSG prevailed amidst a torrential downpour in western France.

The capital club have won the competition each of the past two seasons and are bidding for a record-breaking 11th title after matching Marseille’s haul by beating their arch rivals in last year’s final.

Twice former winners Guingamp, who lifted the trophy in 2009 and 2014, saw off third-tier Quevilly 2-1 with second-half goals from Alexandre Mendy and Nill de Pauw.

Marseille host Ligue 1 leaders Monaco in the tie of the round at the Stade Velodrome in Wednesday’s late game.

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Chelsea surged 11 points clear at the top of the Premier League as Pedro inspired a 3-1 win over Swansea, while Leicester’s gloom deepened as the troubled champions plunged into the relegation zone on Saturday (Feb 25).

Antonio Conte’s leaders won for the 17th time in their last 20 league games to push them a step closer to the title.

Cesc Fabregas, restored to the team in place of Nemanja Matic, was making his 300th Premier League appearance and the former Arsenal star marked the milestone in the 19th minute with his 46th goal in the competition.

Picked out inside the penalty area by Pedro’s cut-back, Fabregas nimbly adjusted his stride before clipping his shot past Lukasz Fabianski.

Despite being out-played for much of the first half, Swansea snatched an equaliser seconds before the interval at Stamford Bridge.

Gylfi Sigurdsson’s long free-kick caught the Blues napping and Spanish striker Fernando Llorente rose to head powerfully beyond Thibaut Courtois.

But Chelsea’s dominance was rewarded in the 72nd minute when Pedro’s routine long-range effort slipped past a weak attempted stop by Fabianski.

Diego Costa wrapped up the points when he finished off Eden Hazard’s pass in the 84th minute for his 17th goal of the season.

“For sure we dominated the game. We showed great character in the second half and deserved to win,” Conte said. “Now it’s important to look at ourselves and continue with great focus and concentration.”

With second placed Manchester City’s scheduled derby against Manchester United postponed due to their rivals’ League Cup final date with Southampton on Sunday, Chelsea have opened up a huge lead at the top.

Third placed Tottenham can trim Chelsea’s advantage to 10 points if they beat Stoke on Sunday.

While sacked boss Claudio Ranieri was saying his farewells at the club’s Belvoir Drive training base on Saturday, Leicester’s fight for survival took a turn for the worse without the players even kicking a ball.

BAD NEWS

Still digesting Ranieri’s stunning dismissal on Thursday, Leicester don’t play until Liverpool’s visit to the King Power Stadium on Monday.

Amid reports a player revolt had led to Ranieri’s exit, several Leicester players took to social media to praise the Italian, although none expressed disappointment at his exit.

But there was bad news for the malcontents from Selhurst Park, where Crystal Palace’s 1-0 win over Middlesbrough left Leicester one point from safety in 18th place.

Palace had lost six of their last seven league games and their previous five league fixtures at Selhurst Park all ended in defeat.

But Sam Allardyce’s side climbed above Leicester thanks to Patrick van Aanholt, who notched his first goal for Palace since his January move from Sunderland with a cool finish from the edge of the area in the 34th minute.

Middlesbrough are without a win in nine league games and lie one point above the bottom three.

“There’s never been a bigger win than this all season,” Allardyce said. “The two-week break helped us refocus and that showed. The three points are important as it puts us out of the bottom three.”

Everton pushed their former manager David Moyes closer to relegation with a 2-0 win over bottom of the table Sunderland at Goodison Park.

Ronald Koeman’s team went ahead when Senegal midfielder Idrissa Gueye fired into the roof of the net in the 40th minute.

Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku sealed the points for seventh placed Everton in the 80th minute to leave Sunderland three points from safety.

Watford forward Mauro Zarate was taken to hospital for scans on a serious knee injury during his side’s 1-1 draw with 10-man West Ham.

The Hornets took the lead through Troy Deeney’s third minute penalty after Cheikhou Kouyate’s foul on Zarate.

But Zarate was stretchered off with his right leg heavily strapped and an oxygen mask over the Argentine’s face after lengthy treatment in first half stoppage-time.

There was more anguish for Watford in the 73rd minute when West Ham substitute Andre Ayew equalised from close-range, before Hammers winger Michail Antonio was sent off for a second booking in the closing moments.

Hull missed a chance to climb out of the relegation zone with a 1-1 draw against Burnley at the KCOM Stadium.

Bournemouth are just five points above the relegation zone after losing 2-1 at West Bromwich Albion.

Collated English Premier League results on Saturday:

Chelsea 3 Swansea 1

Crystal Palace 1 Middlesbrough 0

Everton 2 Sunderland 0

Hull 1 Burnley 1

Watford 1 West Ham 1

West Brom 2 Bournemouth 1

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Lionel Messi struck the winner four minutes from time as Barcelona moved top of La Liga on Sunday (Feb 26) with a crucial 2-1 win at Atletico Madrid.

All the goals came in the final half hour as Rafinha put Barcelona in front before Diego Godin’s header quickly restored parity.

However, so often the thorn in Atletico’s side, Messi registered his 27th career goal against Los Rojiblancos to ease the pressure on under fire Barca coach Luis Enrique.

Barcelona now lead Real Madrid and Sevilla by two points. Real, though, have two games in hand on their title rivals, the first of which comes later on Sunday at Villarreal.

Defeat leaves fourth-placed Atletico just one point clear of Real Sociedad in the battle for the final Champions League slot.

Following their Champions League thrashing at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain and struggles at home to Leganes last weekend, Luis Enrique switched from the Catalans habitual 4-3-3 to a 3-4-3 with Messi forced into an advanced midfield role.

However, the change in tactics did little to stem Barca’s slump in form early on as Atletico dominated the opening half hour.

Yannick Carrasco and Godin blasted wildly off target when well placed inside the area early on.

Antoine Griezmann then saw a goalbound effort blocked by French international teammate Samuel Umtiti.

Atletico’s best effort of the opening half came from long range, though, as Griezmann’s driven effort on his weaker right foot forced a brilliant flying save from Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

Barcelona thought they had gone in front against the run of play on the half hour mark when Luis Suarez headed in from close range after a goalmouth scramble.

However, the Uruguayan was penalised for a handball after Jan Oblak had parried Messi’s initial effort.

Oblak was making his first appearance since December 12, but the Slovenian showed no signs of rustiness to once again prove his credentials as one of the finest ‘keepers in the world.

Firstly, Oblak produced a sensational stop to tip Messi’s dipping free-kick over and then clutched Gerard Pique’s header from point-blank range.

Both sides passed up huge chances at the start of the second-half.

Firstly, Suarez screwed his shot horribly wide after being played in by Messi.

Then at the other end, Ter Stegen made another excellent stop to deny Griezmann from a narrow angle.

The deadlock was eventually broken in scrappy fashion on 63 minutes as Rafinha profited from a loose ball inside the area to fire low into the far corner.

However, the lead lasted only seven minutes as Godin rose higher than a host of Barca defenders to flick home Koke’s free-kick for the equaliser.

Yet, when Barca needed a potential season defining goal, Messi again came up trumps with his 35th in as many games this season.

The five-time World Player of the Year’s first effort from Suarez’s cut-back was blocked, but he followed up to prod past the helpless Oblak and move Barca top of the table.

Spanish La Liga results:

Espanyol 3 Osasuna 0
Atletico Madrid 1 Barcelona 2
Athletic Bilbao 3 Granada 1
Sporting Gijon 1 Celta Vigo 1
Villarreal 2 Real Madrid 3

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Zlatan Ibrahimovic sealed the first major silverware of Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United reign and broke Southampton’s hearts as the Swedish star’s late goal clinched a dramatic 3-2 victory in Sunday’s (Feb 26) League Cup final.

Manchester United’s players celebrate with the trophy on the pitch after their victory in the English League Cup final football match against Southampton at Wembley stadium in north London. (Ian KINGTON/AFP)

Ibrahimovic was one of Mourinho’s marquee signings in the close-season and he repaid his manager’s faith with a typically dominant display on the big occasion at Wembley.

The 35-year-old opened the scoring with a blistering free-kick before Jesse Lingard doubled United’s lead.

Manolo Gabbiadini sparked a thrilling Southampton fightback, scoring just before half-time and again early in the second half.

But Ibrahimovic had the last word as his 87th minute header ensured Mourinho joined United legend Alex Ferguson and Nottingham Forest great Brian Clough as the only managers to win the League Cup four times.

Mourinho is the first United manager to win a top prize in his maiden season at Old Trafford, a feat not even Ferguson or Matt Busby achieved. It was also the 54-year-old’s 19th major trophy of his glittering career.

With United trailing well behind Premier League leaders Chelsea, Mourinho needed this success to guarantee players, fans and the club’s hierarchy remain in his corner.

But the serial winner will hope the victory acts as a catalyst to claim bigger prizes in the near future, just as it did when the League Cup was the first silverware of his maiden spell with Chelsea.

“Ibrahimovic won the game for us because he was outstanding,” Mourinho said.

“Our opponents were better than us for long periods of the game and didn’t deserve to lose over 90 minutes. Ibrahimovic made the difference. He gave us a cup.”

In the absence of injured playmaker Henrikh Mkhitaryan and with Wayne Rooney again on the bench, the stage was set for Ibrahimovic to cement his status as United’s talisman and he wasted little time stamping his authority on his first showpiece occasion in England.

Demanding the ball right from the start, Ibrahimovic’s astute pass set up France midfielder Paul Pogba for a fierce long-range effort that stung the palms of Saints goalkeeper Fraser Forster.

KNOCKOUT BLOW

Southampton responded with a dangerous raid that should have brought the opening goal in the 11th minute when Cedric Soares crossed low into the six yard box and Gabbiadini side-footed past David de Gea., only to see his celebrations curtailed by a dubious offside decision.

Emboldened by that lucky escape, United swept forward and in the 19th minute Oriol Romeu made a costly error when he try to halt another attack with a crude lunge on Ander Herrera.

Romeu was booked but there was worse punishment to come from the free-kick as Ibrahimovic stepped up to smash his dipping shot over the Southampton wall.

Despite their lead, United still looked alarmingly casual and De Gea was forced to save from James Ward-Prowse and Dusan Tadic.

But Southampton were even more negligent at the back and Mourinho’s men made them pay again in the 38th minute.

Marcos Rojo was given room to pick out Lingard inside the penalty area and the United forward couldn’t believe this luck as the statuesque Saints’ defence allowed him to guide a low finish past Forster.

Yet on the stroke of half-time Southampton were back in it as United were caught napping by Ward-Prowse’s cross and Gabbiadini applied the finishing touch with a cool close-range effort.

With the strangely diffident Pogba offering little protection to United’s defence, Southampton exposed United’s defensive flaws again to draw level in the 48th minute

When a corner was directed back into the United area, Pogba missed a header and Gabbiadini reacted quicker than Chris Smalling to whip his shot past De Gea for his fifth goal in just three appearances since a January move from Napoli.

Romeu almost won it when he headed against a post from Ward-Prowse’s corner.

But, despite a far from convincing display from United, it was Ibrahimovic who delivered the knockout blow with extra-time looming.

He started and finished a United counter, ghosting into the six-yard box to meet Herrera’s cross with a bullet header that added more lustre to both United and Mourinho’s trophy cabinets.

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English Premier League side Liverpool announced plans on Wednesday that will see the first team leave their long-time training base in Melwood and move to a redeveloped site in Kirkby, where their youth academy is located.

Melwood, the training ground of some of the biggest names in English football since the late 1950s, including Kenny Dalglish, Ian Rush, Robbie Fowler, John Barnes and Steven Gerrard, has also been earmarked for redevelopment.

Redeveloping Melwood, elevated to Liverpool’s first-team training centre under former manager Bill Shankly in 1959, could provide about 160 houses in West Derby, Liverpool said on its website. (www.liverpoolfc.com)

Shankly transformed Melwood into a top-class training facility, but incumbent Juergen Klopp has been a keen advocate of using a larger facility to accommodate the first team and the academy.

“We recognise that Melwood has played a significant role in the club’s success and forms an important part of our history,” Liverpool’s chief operating officer Andy Hughes said on the website.

“However, the Melwood site is limited in space and is unable to accommodate our longer-term ambitions, which is why we are exploring options on the Academy site.”

Liverpool plan spend 50 million pound (US$60 million) on the combined training centre, redeveloping the existing facilities at the academy and converting the main pitch into an indoor one.

The club said that a public consultation would be held on March 8 for residents and businesses to discuss the proposed plans in more detail.

Liverpool intend to purchase land adjacent to the academy site and close part of Moss Lane between Simonswood Lane and Arbour Lane to allow the proposal to go ahead.

The club did not offer any timeline for the building work, but the Liverpool Echo newspaper reported that it would begin in early 2018 and be completed by the summer of 2019 if the project was given approval.

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Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho was coy on questions over Wayne Rooney’s future at the club as he confirmed the striker was still not fit enough to return for their Europa League clash with Saint-Etienne.

Manchester United’s striker Wayne Rooney runs during the English FA Cup football match between Manchester United and Wigan Athletic at Old Trafford on Jan 29, 2017. (Photo: AFP/Paul Ellis)

There have been rumours that Rooney, who is no longer an integral part of the United side under Mourinho, could eventually leave for the mega-rich Chinese Super League.

“You have to ask him,” said Mourinho on Tuesday when asked if there was any chance the 31-year-old could follow in the footsteps of the likes of former United team-mate Carlos Tevez and move there before the transfer window closes next week.

“Of course I can’t guarantee (he will be here). I can’t guarantee that I’m here next week, how can I guarantee that a player is here next season?”

Mourinho, though, insisted he wants Rooney to stay, saying: “I would never push, or try to push, a legend of this club to another destiny.”

Rooney trained with his United team-mates in Manchester on Tuesday morning but was not part of the 20-man squad that flew to France for Wednesday’s last 32 second leg.

Asked if he would be fit for Sunday’s English Football League Cup final against Southampton, Mourinho was non-committal.

“I don’t know. This morning was the first time he trained and didn’t even train 100 percent with the group,” the Portuguese boss told reporters at Saint-Etienne’s Stade Geoffroy-Guichard.

“He is injured, I cannot do miracles at that level,” said the boss. “Rooney is injured, he (has been) injured for two or three weeks. When you don’t have a player, you have others. The team is in a good moment. In the past few months we’ve lost only one game and it was one we could lose as it was a two-legged match.”

‘SHAW MUST WAIT’

The Europa League has taken on added importance for United, who are battling on four fronts, as it offers a qualification place to next season’s Champions League for the winners.

With United in a tight battle for a top-four finish in the Premier League – there will likely be three places up for grabs between five teams behind runaway leaders Chelsea – Mourinho said he wouldn’t be prioritising competitions.

“I want to win tomorrow (Wednesday). I don’t want to win Europa League or Premier League, I want to win tomorrow,” he said. “I want to win the final on Sunday – Sunday at 7pm. I want to win against Bournemouth in the Premier League. That is the way I think all the time and during my career.”

Another player who didn’t make the match-day squad is England international full-back Luke Shaw, who has been out of favour with Mourinho.

After battling back from last season’s double leg fracture, Shaw has found games hard to come by since Mourinho succeeded Louis van Gaal, playing only once since November.

And Mourinho gave little indication the 21-year-old is likely to earn a starting place any time soon. “Luke has to wait for his chance, he has to work better and better, knowing that I give nothing for free.

“When I give something for the players it is expensive for me, it is not cheap. They have to work really hard every day, they have to play well, so he has to wait and in this moment he is behind the others.”

United won last week’s first leg at Old Trafford 3-0 thanks to Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s hat-trick and Mourinho believes there will be no way back for Saint-Etienne if his team performs well on Wednesday.

“If we play normally, as we usually play, I think it is mission impossible for Saint-Etienne. Even though I think we played badly in the first 45 minutes of the first leg. I shall tell my players to forget about the final on Sunday. I want my players to be focused.”

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