Atletico draw leave Barca even closer to La Liga title
MADRID: Atletico Madrid warmed up for their Europa League clash with Arsenal by playing out a 0-0 draw with in-form Betis in La Liga, a result that left Barcelona closer still to the Spanish title.
Antoine Griezmann was left out of the starting line-up by coach Diego Simeone and Atletico drew a second blank in four days, following their 3-0 defeat away at Real Sociedad on Thursday. Atletico remain second but with four games left they are 11 points behind unbeaten La Liga leaders Barcelona, who can clinch the title next weekend when they go to Deportivo.
Barcelona won the Copa del Rey at Atletico’s Wanda Metropolitano with a 5-0 rout of Sevilla on Saturday, but there was decidedly less drama at the same stadium 24 hours later.
NAPOLI REIGNITES TITLE RACE
TURIN: Kalidou Koulibaly scored a late winner to help Napoli win 1-0 at Juventus and reignite the Serie A title race on Sunday.
Napoli trailed Juventus by six points last weekend but the Bianconeri drew at Crotone midweek, and two straight wins for Maurizio Sarri’s team slashed the lead to a solitary point with four rounds left.
CITY DIFFICULT TO CATCH, ADMITS JOSE
LONDON: Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho admitted his side have little chance of catching Premier League champions Manchester City next season unless the standards set by Pep Guardiola’s side slip.
Second-placed United trail City by 16 points with four games of the league season to go after Guardiola’s men kept up their chase of a series of Premier League records by thrashing Swansea 5-0.
Mourinho believes United let crucial points slip away in defeats to West Brom, Huddersfield and Newcastle.
“I think we should have eight, nine or 10 points more than we had,” said Mourinho after reaching the FA Cup final by beating Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 on Saturday.
“It was not acceptable the last defeat (to West Brom), not acceptable the performance at Huddersfield, not acceptable the performance at Newcastle, so we lost a few matches where we should do better.
“Can we improve next season? Let’s try. Can Manchester City keep this level or improve this level? Only they can say.
WENGER WILL GET MANY JOB OFFERS: DEIN
LONDON: Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will have plenty of clubs interested in his services after he leaves the job, according to the Premier League club’s former vice-chairman David Dein.
He was instrumental in hiring Wenger at Arsenal in 1996 and after more than two decades in charge, the Frenchman has announced that he will step down at the end of the season.
“Over the last few years I know for a fact that he has been approached by some of the biggest clubs in the world - I think Real Madrid, Paris St Germain, the England national team wanted him at one stage. There will be no shortage of offers,” he said.