Lucky strike keeps Reds flying high
SWANSEA: Jordan Henderson’s fortuitous goal earned Liverpool a 1-0 win at Swansea on Monday as they moved within two points of fourth-placed Manchester United ahead of an eagerlyanticipated showdown against their bitter rivals.
Henderson scored for a third successive Premier League game to make it five successive top-flight victories for Brendan Rodgers’ team as their charge for the Champions League continues to gather pace.
Yet there was more than a stroke of luck about Henderson’s second-half winner after Swansea defender Jordi Amat’s attempted clearance ricocheted off the onrushing Liverpool midfielder and looped over goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski.
That will be of little concern to Liverpool’s former Swansea manager Rodgers on what was a happy return to the Liberty Stadium that means his team can leapfrog old foes United should they defeat them at Anfield on Sunday.
They certainly have momentum following what has been a remarkable turnaround in recent months following a sluggish start and that this was a sixth successive away clean sheet for the first time since 1972 merely added gloss.
READING WIN REPLAY LONDON: Second-tier Reading booked an FA Cup semi-final meeting with holders Arsenal at Wembley after brushing aside 10-man Bradford City 3-0 in their replay on Monday.
After the first game failed to yield a goal, Reading roared into a 2-0 lead inside the opening 10 minutes at the Madejski stadium.
Hal Robson-Kanu headed home a corner after six minutes and three minutes later Garath McCleary scored with a deflected shot.
Bradford’s Filipe Morais was shown a straight red card for a high challenge on Nathaniel Chalobah just past the hour and Reading made the game safe against their third-tier opponents when Jamie Mackie slammed in a third goal after 68 minutes.
Bradford produced a massive upset to beat Premier League leaders Chelsea 4-2 at Stamford Bridge in the fourth round before knocking out topflight Sunderland to reach the last eight. MADRID: Joe Hart is probably sick of the sight of Barcelona striker Luis Suarez and the Manchester City goalkeeper will need to improve his record against the Uruguayan if the English champions are to have any hope of reaching the Champions League quarterfinals.
Barca lead 2-1 from last month’s first leg ahead of the showdown at the Nou Camp on Wednesday, when Suarez netted both goals, more evidence he is nearing top form after a stuttering start to his stint in Spain.
The former Liverpool forward, who has scored 10 times since the turn of the year, also put two past Hart when Uruguay beat England 2-1 in Sao Paulo in June at the World Cup finals.
The 28-year-old was banned for four months for biting an opponent in Uruguay’s subsequent game against Italy but since making his Barca debut at the end of October has slowly been getting back to his lethal best.
Linking up well with fellow South American forwards Lionel Messi and Neymar, Suarez has earned praise from Barca coach Luis Enrique for his work rate and it will be a huge challenge for city to thwart the fearsome Played Dortmund won Drawn
trio on Wednesday.
Scoring goals has been City’s main failure in recent weeks, however, and Saturday’s 1-0 Premier League defeat at Burnley was their third reverse in four outings, during which they have managed to find the net only four times.
It is a paltry return by City’s standards, especially considering they rattled in nine goals in their previous two games in England’s top flight. Juventus won
Four-time European champions Barca are seeking a record eighth straight QF appearance.
Barca have progressed 33 out of the 35 times they won the away first leg in UEFA competition, most recently against City last season
They have lost just one of their last 30 Champions League home matches, winning 23.
Only twice has a team won a knockout round tie in the Champions League era after losing the first leg at home.
In Manuel Pellegrini, City have a coach who has previously reached the QF with Villarreal (2006, 2009) and Malaga CF (2012). Played
“The issue for us at present is that we are not winning the games that we normally do, especially against teams we are expected to beat, and that is because we are not scoring goals,” City coach Manuel Pellegrini said. “I’m sure all our players are giving all that they can at this moment but we have to keep trusting in what we are trying to do and believe our performances will return to our normal levels.” Barca won Drawn AFP Man City won