A smiling Fernando Torres watched just four days on from a sickening blow to the head as Antoine Griezmann struck twice in Atletico Madrid’s 3-0 win over Valencia on Sunday (Mar 5).

Torres, a lifelong Atletico fan, was knocked unconscious during his side’s 1-1 draw at Deportivo la Coruna on Thursday and spent the night in hospital, although thankfully suffered no serious injury.

He was serenaded with a banner reading “the Calderon loves you” before kick-off and was soon on his feet in celebration as Griezmann finished off a fine team move after just 10 minutes.

Kevin Gameiro’s deflected effort doubled Atletico’s lead three minutes into the second half before Griezmann completed the scoring seven minutes from time.

Victory moved Atletico back a point clear of Real Sociedad and into fourth in La Liga.

“We are happy he (Torres) is here with us,” Griezmann told BeIN Sports Spain. “Hopefully he can return as quickly as possible because we need him.”

Torres is in his second spell at the Vicente Calderon after coming through the club’s academy to captain Atletico before leaving for Liverpool in 2007.

He remains firmly a fans’ favourite and was the centre of attention as he took his seat in the directors’ box ahead of the game.

However, on the field, it was Atletico’s other star man who put the hosts on course for a much-needed win in their quest for Champions League football next season.

Griezmann’s wonder strike to secure a point at Deportivo had been overshadowed by Torres’s clash. But he produced another arrowing finish into the far corner from Koke’s through ball to open the scoring.

Valencia showed little sign of their recent revival to climb clear of the relegation zone, but Simone Zaza did momentarily threaten an equaliser when he flashed a header just wide.

Atletico got the second goal their dominance deserved early in the second period when Gameiro’s driven effort clipped Eliaquim Mangala to leave Diego Alves helpless.

Alves made a great save moments later to deny Griezmann as the French international was played clean through.

Griezmann was unlucky when his lovely attempted chip into the far corner flew just past the post 20 minutes from time.

However, he made amends when he stabbed home Thomas Partey’s pass for his 20th goal of the season.

Earlier, Deportivo eased their relegation fears with a vital 1-0 win at Sporting Gijon.

Pedro Mosquera scored the only goal as Deportivo moved four points clear of the bottom three, whilst Sporting are now six points off safety in 19th.

Jese Rodriguez scored his first two goals for Las Palmas on loan from Paris Saint-Germain in a 5-2 victory over rock bottom Osasuna.

Athletic Bilbao moved up to seventh as Raul Garcia’s penalty earned a 1-0 win over Malaga.

Spanish La Liga results:

Sporting Gijon 0 Deportivo la Coruna 1
Atletico Madrid 3 Valencia 0
Las Palmas 5 Osasuna 2
Athletic Bilbao 1 Malaga 0

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Pep Guardiola saw his team squander the opportunity to gain ground on Premier League leaders Chelsea in a disappointing 0-0 draw with Stoke City at the Etihad on Wednesday (Mar 8).

It was a strangely subdued performance by City, the result perhaps of Guardiola having opted to rest David Silva and Raheem Sterling from his all-star cast of attacking talent.

But given the fact that City had the chance to close the gap to Chelsea to eight points and move above Tottenham into second place, Guardiola’s players were well below their best.

In fact, the best chances of the first period fell to Stoke, led by former City manager Mark Hughes, who were looking to improve on a record of defeats in five of their last six away games.

They could have been well on the way to that target after just five minutes when Eirk Pieters crossed from the left wing and Gael Clichy slipped as he attempted to mark Mame Biram Diouf on the six-yard line.

Fortunately for the City defender and the home supporters, Clichy still managed to provide an obstacle and Diouf’s shot lacked the power to beat Willy Caballero in goal.

Another good attack saw Saido Berahino, starting his first game for Stoke since his controversial transfer from West Brom, play in Ramadan Sobhi, who might have won a penalty had he gone down under a challenge from Nicolas Otamendi, but played on and had his cross cut out by the goalkeeper’s outstretched leg.

Soon after Phil Bardsley’s free-kick into the City area picked out the unmarked Bruno Martins Indi although the big Stoke defender was unable to control the ball.

As the half wore on City began to exert more control but without providing visiting keeper Lee Grant with too many moments of concern.

Aleksandar Kolarov came closest to scoring for City in that period with a superbly judged free-kick which rose and dipped over the Stoke wall and required Grant to punch away to safety.

But all too often City seemed to over-complicate their approach play and, with Silva watching from the bench and the rested Sterling not even in the squad, lacked their usual cutting edge.

Jesus Navas had a rare chance to provide quality service but his near-post cross was well handled by Grant and, in first-half injury time, Otamendi’s long ball looked about to be gathered by Kevin De Bruyne with just the keeper to beat but the ball ran beyond his reach.

Guardiola needed just 13 minutes of the second half to have seen enough and brought on Silva to replace the ineffective Navas.

Indeed, the situation might have been even worse but for a solid piece of defending from Otamendi who blocked an attempt from Berahino soon after the restart.

City’s frustration was growing, with Leroy Sane cautioned for simulation as he went to ground on the edge of the Stoke area although the German almost made amends on 54 minutes when he led a counter and set up Sergio Aguero for a shot which hit Pieters and flew over.

After Silva’s introduction City seemed to have more attacking threat with the Spaniard starting a move which ended with De Bruyne crossing to the penalty spot from where Sane’s mis-hit shot failed to test Grant.

City continued to improve with Yaya Toure shooting over, Sane almost turning in Aguero’s touch at the far post and Silva playing a superb one-two with Fernandinho and sending a low shot narrowly wide of the post.

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Bayern Munich condemned Arsene Wenger to more humiliation as 10-man Arsenal were eliminated from the Champions League with a crushing 5-1 defeat amid furious protests against the beleaguered Gunners boss on Tuesday (Mar 7).

Arsenal’s Chilean striker Alexis Sanchez (R) takes a free kick during the UEFA Champions League last 16 second leg football match against Bayern Munich at The Emirates Stadium in London. (Ian KINGTON/IKIMAGES/AFP)

Aiming to stage an incredible recovery from a 5-1 first leg deficit, Wenger’s side briefly looked capable of a famous escape act when Theo Walcott opened the scoring in the first half at the Emirates Stadium.

But any hopes Wenger’s recent problems would be erased in historic fashion were brutally dashed by Robert Lewandowski’s second half penalty and Laurent Koscielny’s dismissal for conceding that spot-kick.

Wenger cut a forlorn figure as Arjen Robben and Douglas Costa netted before Arturo Vidal’s double fired Bayern into the quarter-finals with a 10-2 aggregate victory.

It was the first time Arsenal had conceded five at the Emirates and by the closing stages, there was a funereal atmosphere on an evening that started with Arsenal fans staging a protest march calling for Wenger to quit and ended with a chorus of boos and banners held up proclaiming: “Enough is enough – Wenger out”.

It was yet another chastening experience in the Champions League for Wenger, who has now seen Arsenal eliminated in the last 16 for seven successive seasons.

With their Premier League title hopes in tatters and even a top four finish far from guaranteed, Wenger’s 184th Champions League match as Arsenal boss may well prove to be his last as speculation grows that he will terminate his 21-year reign at the end of a wretched season.

Blaming Greek referee Tasos Sidiropoulos for Arsenal’s demise, Wenger ranted: “The penalty and red card are absolutely unexplainable and scandalous. It’s irresponsible from the referee. It leaves me very angry and very frustrated.”

Bayern boss Carlo Ancelotti added: “It was a strange game, honestly the result doesn’t reflect what happened on the pitch. The penalty took all the pressure out for us.”

Arsenal would have to make history to go through as no team in the Champions League era had overturned a four-goal deficit and many Gunners fans gave them no chance judging by the swathes of empty red seats around the Emirates.

EMBARRASSING

Even the stay-aways wouldn’t have predicted such an embarrassing loss when Walcott struck in the 20th minute.

Taking possession wide on the right flank, Walcott advanced unchecked by the ponderous Bayern defence and, from an acute angle, he unloaded a powerful strike that flashed over Manuel Neuer’s unconvincing attempted save and into the roof of the net.

Walcott had a penalty appeal turned down after Xabi Alonso caught the winger and he was close to a second goal when he surged onto Shkodran Mustafi’s pass before firing into the side-netting.

But Giroud, unmarked eight yards out, wastefully headed over from Aaron Ramsey’s cross early in the second half, and that would prove Arsenal’s final chance.

When Lewandowski got behind Koscielny in the 55th minute, the Arsenal defender’s panicked response was to trip the Pole, conceding a penalty and earning himself a red card.

Lewandowski picked himself up to send David Ospina the wrong way with a clinical spot-kick and the Emirates immediately fell into anarchy.

Faced with an inevitable exit, Wenger retreated to the dug out as insults rained down on him from frustrated fans, and his players waved the white flag as well.

Fittingly, Bayern’s second goal in the 68th minute came about after Sanchez was caught in possession on the edge of his own penalty area, with Robben gleefully picking the Chilean’s pocket before slotting past Ospina.

That opened the floodgates and Costa curled home in the 78th minute before Vidal punished woeful defending to make it four two minutes later.

With Arsenal’s players just waiting to be put out of their misery, Vidal waltzed through to make it five in the 85th minute and Wenger’s agony was complete.

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Eden Hazard’s dazzling goal inspired Chelsea to a 2-1 victory at West Ham United on Monday (Mar 6) as Antonio Conte’s side restored their 10-point advantage in the Premier League.

Chelsea’s Diego Costa (L) vies with West Ham United’s Pedro Obiang during the English Premier League football match at The London Stadium in east London. Chelsea won 2-1 to restore their 10-point lead in the table. (Adrian DENNIS/AFP)

Hazard finished off a lightning counter-attack in the 25th minute and Diego Costa’s 49th league goal for Chelsea rubber-stamped victory before Manuel Lanzini belatedly replied in stoppage time.

“I think we played a good game,” Chelsea manager Conte told Sky Sports. “We controlled the game. It’s a pity for the goal we conceded at the end. To give away a clean sheet at the end is not good. We must improve in this situation. But I’m pleased. We showed great concentration and commitment and will to win.”

With Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City having won at the weekend, this was a test of Chelsea’s nerve, but their assured display suggested there will be few bumps on the road to the title.

Hazard, in particular, brimmed with self-belief, at one point using his back to play a showy pass to N’Golo Kante, while Costa took his tally for the season to 18 goals in all competitions.

West Ham had won 2-1 when the sides last met in the League Cup in October, but Lanzini’s late strike gave the final score at London Stadium a slightly misleading gloss for the home side.

“Chelsea are where they are for a reason,” said West Ham manager Slaven Bilic, whose team remain 11th in the table. “To beat them, you need them to make mistakes, not the other way round.”

Andy Carroll’s return after a month out with a groin injury gave Slaven Bilic’s West Ham a welcome attacking focal point and they looked for the towering striker at every opportunity.

Robert Snodgrass and Lanzini curled a succession of testing crosses into the Chelsea box, but the visitors withstood the aerial onslaught before taking the lead in ruthless fashion.

All it took was a misplaced Mark Noble pass to set Chelsea off, with Kante intercepting the loose ball before ferrying a pass down the left touchline to Hazard, who moved it infield to Pedro.

No sooner had he released the ball than Hazard was darting in behind the West Ham defence.

Pedro’s pass found the Belgian and he nudged the ball wide of advancing goalkeeper Darren Randolph before steering a shot into the vacant net for his 11th goal of the season.

FAN INTRUSION

In a troubling moment, an irate male West Ham fan in a black anorak and jeans vaulted the advertising hoardings and attempted to confront Hazard as he celebrated, but was held back by stewards.

It took until the 40th minute for West Ham to muster an attempt worthy of the name, Lanzini swapping passes with Noble and blazing over.

They were fortunate to reach the interval only a goal behind after Chelsea spurned three clear-cut chances in rapid succession shortly before the break.

Hazard’s cross was completely missed by Costa, Victor Moses saw an effort blocked by a stretching Aaron Cresswell and Pedro’s follow-up was palmed away by Randolph.

Costa atoned for his miscue five minutes into the second half by doubling Chelsea’s lead, guiding the ball into the net with his knee after Cesc Fabregas’s corner had glanced off Pedro Obiang’s head.

Marcos Alonso threatened to kill West Ham off for good moments later when he danced past Jose Fonte and dinked a shot wide.

But it proved the precursor to the hosts’ strongest period of the match.

Carroll curled in an effort that brushed the roof netting, Snodgrass worried Thibaut Courtois with a cross-shot and Fonte headed wide moments after Moses had blocked from Sofiane Feghouli.

Conte stiffened his midfield in response, sending on Nemanja Matic for Pedro and switching to a 5-3-2 configuration.

The switch succeeded in snuffing out the hosts’ revival and although Lanzini halved the arrears with a low drive, after Randolph had saved from Costa at the other end, victory never looked in doubt.

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Teenage sensation Kylian Mbappe punished Nantes with a first-half brace as Monaco strolled to a 4-0 victory on Sunday to rebuild their three-point cushion at the top of Ligue 1.

Monaco’s French forward Kylian Mbappe Lottin leaves the pitch during the French L1 football match Monaco (ASM) vs Nantes (FCN) on March 5 at the “Louis II Stadium” in Monaco. — AFP Photo

Mbappe volleyed in the opener at the Stade Louis II with just four minutes gone and headed in his second in first-half stoppage time after Valere Germain had doubled Monaco’s lead.

Fabinho tucked away his sixth penalty of the season on 59 minutes to seal a fifth win in six outings for Monaco, who extended their unbeaten league run to 10 matches.

Leonardo Jardim’s free-flowing side are showing no sign of slowing down as a three-team title race looks poised to go down to the wire with Monaco chasing a first league crown since 2000.

“I continue to learn from the great players here and I am discovering all the time,” said Mbappe.

Radamel Falcao was left out the Monaco squad with muscle fatigue, but Bernardo Silva and Thomas Lemar returned to the line-up after coming off the bench in Wednesday’s thrilling 4-3 extra-time victory at Marseille in the last 16 of the French Cup.

Silva’s weaving runs were immediately a threat to Nantes and Mbappe profited from a stroke of good luck to guide the ball beyond Maxime Dupe when a shot from the Portuguese international was deflected into his path.

Brazilian left-back Lima forced a smart stop out of Monaco goalkeeper Danijel Subasic with a crisply-struck free-kick, but Nantes paid heavily for a pair defensive errors as the hosts killed off the game just before the interval.

A poor clearing header allowed Kamil Glik to drill across goal, with Germain bringing the ball down on his chest and stabbing past Dupe for his ninth goal of the season.

Silva then pinched possession back from Felipe Pardo inside the Nantes half and his curling cross was glanced in by Mbappe as the 18-year-old netted for the eighth time in his last seven appearances.

Nantes compounded their problems when a rash challenge from Koffi Djidji on Lemar handed Monaco a penalty, with spot-kick specialist Fabinho converting for his seventh goal of the campaign.

Mbappe had a chance to complete his hat-trick after a sublime first touch enabled him to spin away from the defence, but Dupe dived sharply to his right to palm the ball to safety.

Both Mbappe and Silva were then replaced with Jardim already looking ahead to next Friday’s clash at home to Bordeaux, as well as the return leg of their Champions League last 16 tie against Manchester City on March 15.

Payet on target

Dimitri Payet struck with a clever improvised finish as Marseille recovered from last week’s heavy defeat by arch rivals PSG by thrashing bottom side Lorient 4-1 in Brittany to move up to sixth place.

Centre-back Rolando headed Marseille into a sixth-minute lead, while Payet grabbed the visitors’ second midway through the first half.

Florian Thauvin added a third on 53 minutes before Morgan Sanson turned home his first goal for the club since arriving from Montpellier in January, with Cameroon international Benjamin Moukandjo netting Lorient’s consolation.

Lille goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama saved a late Martin Braithwaite to earn his side a 1-1 draw at Toulouse after Yassine Benzia cancelled out Christopher Jullien’s first-half strike for the home side.

Reigning champions PSG and Nice both stayed in pursuit of Monaco following respective 1-0 wins over Nancy and Dijon on Saturday.

Edinson Cavani scored his league-leading 27th goal from the spot as PSG laboured past Nancy at the Parc des Princes, while Wylan Cyprien’s calm finish steered Nice to a vital win at Dijon. — AFP

Leonardo Bonucci’s second-half leveller saved Juventus’s blushes a day after Roma virtually conceded the title as the champions were held to their first Serie A draw in over a year at Udinese.

Juventus’ Leonardo Bonucci (left) jubilates with his teammate Paulo Dybala after scoring the goal during the Italian Serie A match Udinese Calcio vs Juventus FC at Friuli stadium in Udine, Italy, on Sunday. — EPA Photo

Juventus, aiming for a record sixth consecutive scudetto, were given a boost on Saturday when Roma’s 2-1 home defeat to Napoli gave the Turin giants the chance to pull 10 points clear.

But in a cagey performance at the Dacia Stadium, filled to the brim for the visit of the 32-times Italian champions, a stuttering Juve failed to capitalise, settling for their first draw of the campaign and their first in Serie A since drawing with Bologna in February 2016.

Massimiliano Allegri’s men remain top of the pile but are now eight points ahead of Roma, with Napoli third at 10 points off the pace.

“Before I say anything I have to compliment Udinese, who played a very solid game. At times they had two, three and even four players coming at our ball carriers,” said Allegri.

“We knew how difficult a game this would be after so many victories. It’s been over a year since we’ve drawn.

“We made a lot of mistakes, especially in the first 20 minutes. On the plus side we gained a point on Roma but the championship is not over. Roma can still collect a lot of points.”

Juventus were denied early penalty claims after Dani Alves’s cross appeared to come off the arm of Samir.

Referee Antonio Damato was unimpressed, and Juve suffered another blow minutes later when Duvan Zapata powered down the left, held off Bonucci and fired under the body of Gianluigi Buffon.

But the home fans’ hopes of seeing Udinese hold on for a famous win were dashed on the hour.

At a free kick Paulo Dybala fired an inviting back-post delivery and Bonucci got between Silvan Widmar and Stipe Perica to head past Orestis Karnezis.

Atalanta are fifth after seeing goalkeeper Ciprian Tatarusanu perform heroics in a scoreless draw with Fiorentina in Bergamo.

That result was welcomed by rivals who are also hunting a place in Europe next season, notably Lazio and Inter Milan.

A classy 5-1 win at Cagliari inspired by two-goal Ivan Perisic saw Inter initially move up to fifth place.

But the Nerazzurri were back down to sixth after Ciro Immobile hit a brace for Lazio in a 2-0 win at Bologna, who were booed off the park in Sunday’s late game.

A week after being stunned 3-1 by Roma at the San Siro, Inter coach Stefano Pioli said he was buoyed by his side’s performance as they chase the dream of a top three finish and a return to the Champions League for the first time since 2012.

“I’ve been really pleased with how the lads have reacted after the defeat to Roma,” said Pioli.

“We looked at the footage to learn from those mistakes. Today we controlled the game, although we have to know when to speed things up and when to slow them down.”

Elsewhere, Italy striker Andrea Belotti hit a hat-trick to take his tally for the season to a league-leading 22 goals in Torino’s 3-1 home win over Palermo.

Relegation candidates Palermo saw Andrea Rispoli beat England’s Joe Hart from distance on the half hour.

But Belotti struck three times in the space of eight second-half minutes to hand Torino a 10th win of the campaign.

He now has a three-goal lead in the scoring charts on Roma’s Edin Dzeko and Higuain, both on 19, with Napoli’s Dries Mertens on 18 and Icardi on 17.

Belotti said: “It would be amazing to win the top scorer’s award.”

AFP

Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Bournemouth defender Tyrone Mings were charged with violent conduct on Monday (Mar 6) over two incidents in Saturday’s 1-1 draw.

Mings appeared to deliberately stamp on Ibrahimovic’s head as he jumped over him late in the first half at Old Trafford and the Swedish striker seemed to retaliate moments later by elbowing the defender in the head.

Both players would ordinarily face three-game bans, but England’s Football Association said in Mings’ case the standard punishment was “clearly insufficient”.

“Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Tyrone Mings have both been charged with alleged violent conduct following the Manchester United versus AFC Bournemouth game on Saturday,” the FA said in a statement.

“The players were involved in two separate incidents in or around the 44th minute which were not seen by the match officials at the time but caught on video.

“Furthermore, the FA has submitted a claim that the standard punishment that would otherwise apply for the misconduct committed by the Bournemouth defender is ‘clearly insufficient’.”

The two players have until 1800 GMT on Tuesday to respond to the charges.

Match referee Kevin Friend spoke to Ibrahimovic, who had already been booked, following his elbow on Mings, but neither player was cautioned.

As a result, the incident was referred to a panel of three former elite referees, who unanimously concluded that both offences merited red cards.

Ibrahimovic, United’s top scorer with 26 goals, denied deliberately elbowing Mings, saying: “I jump up and jump high and he jumps into my elbow. It is not my intention to hurt someone.”

A three-game ban would see Ibrahimovic miss United’s trip to Chelsea in the FA Cup quarter-finals as well as Premier League games with Middlesbrough and West Bromwich Albion.

Mings said he had not intentionally stamped on Ibrahimovic’s head.

“I would never do that. That’s not in my game,” he said. “Hard and fair is how I like to tackle, but off-the-ball stuff like that isn’t part of my game.”

At the very least, Mings stands to miss league matches against West Ham United, Swansea City and Southampton.

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