Cardiff City 2-2 Liverpool (aet, 2-3 on penalties): Reds edge thrilling Wembley final to taste League Cup glory
Liverpool took a shootout win over Cardiff to earn the League Cup title.
Liverpool broke Cardiff City hearts and secured League Cup glory with a dramatic penalty shootout victory.
Joe Mason sent the Championship side into a shock first half lead, and it held out courageously until Martin Skrtel pounced from a corner to level the score after an hour.
Kenny Miller spurned a glorious chance to secure victory in the dying moments and Cardiff seemed to have paid the price when Dirk Kuyt scored in extra time.
Ben Turner poked home from a corner to seal a phenomenal Cardiff comeback, but Anthony Gerrard missed the decisive spot kick at the end of a tumultuous shootout.
Both teams lined up in much the same fashion, with target men Andy Carroll and Rudy Gestede looking to provide an aerial threat up front. Luis Suarez and Kenny Miller supplied pace and guile alongside them.
Steven Gerrard has a knack for making his presence felt in cup finals and he signaled his intent as early as the second minute here. Driving a Liverpool counterattack forward from midfield, he picked out Stewart Downing on the left. Glen Johnson, controlling the winger's subsequent pass just outside the box, deftly curled a shot that dropped beyond goalkeeper Tom Heaton and hit the crossbar.
Cardiff kept its composure and Miller might have done better when Don Cowie cleverly flicked Andrew Taylor's pass into his path. Generally, though, Mackay's side was happy to sit deep and soak up pressure.
After a tame Liverpool attack ended in Heaton comfortably saving from Carroll, the Bluebirds ventured downfield and showed their Premier League counterparts how it should be done with a simple opening goal. Miller, dropping into space in front of the Reds defence, slipped a through ball into the path of Mason, who finished through the legs of Pepe Reina to stun the red half of Wembley.
Downing's form has come under scrutiny in recent weeks but, while unspectacular, he offered an improved display here. With halftime approaching and Liverpool searching for some sort of inspiration, he gave the Reds' support a glimpse of what he is capable of by turning Kevin McNaughton inside out before seeing his cross missed by Jordan Henderson and sent flying into the stands by Steven Gerrard.
Steven Gerrard was to create a better chance for Daniel Agger moments later. Mackay will have been less than pleased with his team's marking from the 31-year-old's free-kick as Agger, entirely unchallenged, headed straight at Heaton from point blank range.
With victories in rugby and boxing on Saturday, Cardiff was looking to hold out in the second half to crown a terrific weekend for Welsh sport but it was their Scottish element causing Liverpool the most problems. McNaughton and Miller had combined to create the opening goal and Cowie's intuitive flick was driven narrowly wide by Miller from distance.
Cardiff continued to defend bravely, surviving a couple of minor appeals for handball in the penalty area along the way, and Dalglish opted to introduce Bellamy, who entered the fray to applause from both sets of supporters, just before the hour mark.
Bellamy was not involved but Liverpool grabbed an equalizer almost immediately. Downing's corner from the left was diverted towards goal by a crowd of bodies and headed on to the post by Suarez, with Skrtel on hand to control and drive home the rebound from close range.
Mackay will have been desperately disappointed to see his side's lead slip away at a set-piece, as Liverpool continued to struggle in its approach play in open play. It might have been better off playing for corners, as Skrtel again latched on to a loose ball from a Downing delivery to force a superb save from Heaton.
Cardiff was tiring but continued to restrict its opponents to efforts from range, Downing and Charlie Adam testing Heaton, before carving out a golden chance to grab a dramatic winning goal. Cowie acted quickly to catch Liverpool unawares from a freekick, sending a pass into Miller who controlled the ball with a brilliant spin only to blast his finish over the crossbar.
Neither side could find a way through within 90 minutes but Liverpool came out on top in the early stages of extra time. After Suarez and Carroll had gone close from yet more corners, Bellamy powered an effort over the bar as Dalglish's team inched closer to a decisive second goal.
It seemed to have arrived after 108 minutes. Kuyt, who as a substitute had added his usual energy to the Liverpool attack, burst down the right and reacted swiftly when his initial shot rebounded straight back to his feet, slamming the ball past Heaton before the 25-year-old had time to move.
With Aron Gunnarsson barely able to walk, Hudson already withdrawn with cramp and Gestede also struggling, Cardiff somehow summoned the energy to push back. Kuyt had already made one goalline clearance when the Bluebirds grabbed an incredible equalizer. Turner diverted the ball home from close range after a corner had been flicked into his path.
Their delight was short-lived. After Steven Gerrard and Miller both missed their opening penalties, Gestede and then, crucially and cruelly, Anthony Gerrard could not hit the target as Liverpool earned their first trophy since 2006.
Jose Mourinho secures 50th Liga win as Real Madrid beats Rayo Vallecano
The Portuguese coach saw his side edge out their city rivals in an evenly disputed contest at Vallecas to bring up a half-century of victories in just 62 Primera Division matches
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Real Madrid's 1-0 win at Rayo Vallecano on Sunday afternoon was the 50th Liga success for coach Jose Mourinho at the capital club.
Madrid triumphed at Vallecas thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo's wonderful improvised backheel and moved provisionally 13 points clear of title rival Barcelona ahead of the Catalans' clash at Atletico later on Sunday.
Mourinho's 50th win came in only his 62nd Primera Division match, with six draws and six defeats in the other 12 games.
Madrid has now won nine away games this term in La Liga, equaling a record set last season, and could conceivably surpass the 100 points mark in 2011-12, having won an impressive 21 of 24 Primera Division fixtures in the current campaign.
Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo's strike was the Portuguese's 123rd goal in 125 official matches for the Santiago Bernabeu side.
The 27-year-old now has 29 goals in 24 league fixtures, meaning he is well on target to beat his own record of 40, which he set last season. In total, the Portuguese has netted 37 times in 36 games for Mourinho's side this term.
Madrid triumphed at Vallecas thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo's wonderful improvised backheel and moved provisionally 13 points clear of title rival Barcelona ahead of the Catalans' clash at Atletico later on Sunday.
Mourinho's 50th win came in only his 62nd Primera Division match, with six draws and six defeats in the other 12 games.
Madrid has now won nine away games this term in La Liga, equaling a record set last season, and could conceivably surpass the 100 points mark in 2011-12, having won an impressive 21 of 24 Primera Division fixtures in the current campaign.
 | JOSE MOURINHO | 50 WINS IN LA LIGA |
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Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo's strike was the Portuguese's 123rd goal in 125 official matches for the Santiago Bernabeu side.
The 27-year-old now has 29 goals in 24 league fixtures, meaning he is well on target to beat his own record of 40, which he set last season. In total, the Portuguese has netted 37 times in 36 games for Mourinho's side this term.
Wenger: Today shows Arsenal is more alive than anybody thought
The Gunners boss believes his side's stirring comeback win at home against its north London rival proves that rumors of the club's demise have been greatly exaggerated.
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LONDON - Arsene Wenger believes Arsenal’s “perfect” comeback to thrash Tottenham proves his side can still finish above its bitter rival in the Premier League this season
The Gunners staged a sensational fightback from two goals down at Emirates Stadium on Sunday to win 5-2 with a sparkling attacking display to humiliate Spurs.
Bacary Sagna, Robin van Persie and Tomas Rosicky scored to put Arsenal in the lead before Theo Walcott capped the win with two goals, having been jeered by his own fans earlier in the game.
The Gunners came into the game under pressure after back-to-back defeats to Milan and Sunderland but the result takes Arsenal back into fourth place as the team targets a place in next season’s Champions League. It also closed the gap to the Gunners north London enemy to seven points.
“Today shows that Arsenal is alive more than anybody thought before the game,” said Wenger. “We had a performance today where the technical side and drive of the team was perfect. Everything was perfect despite a very bad start.
"I think Tottenham started well for the first five minutes. After, it was all us for 85 minutes. We dominated the game. We were 2-0 down and refused to lose the game. We were determined to win. We had a great spirit.
“It is still possible to finish above Tottenham if we keep our run going. It is possible but it will be down to consistency. Everybody in the Premier League now can lose points. We both have difficult schedules but if we continue to play like that, why not?”
Wenger reserved special praise for Walcott and admitted he considered substituting the winger after fans started to express their frustration with his lack of end product in the first half.
“The crowd was starting to get on Theo’s back,” Wenger added. “You don’t know whether to do him a favor by taking him off or leave him on. I felt he had the qualities to get behind defenders. He’s a very direct player. Sometimes he misses a first touch but I felt it was important to keep him in the team for the balance of our side.
“We had a good balance between offense and defense. We had creativity and went into the space behind defenders. I felt it was a performance of good maturity.”
The Gunners staged a sensational fightback from two goals down at Emirates Stadium on Sunday to win 5-2 with a sparkling attacking display to humiliate Spurs.
Bacary Sagna, Robin van Persie and Tomas Rosicky scored to put Arsenal in the lead before Theo Walcott capped the win with two goals, having been jeered by his own fans earlier in the game.
The Gunners came into the game under pressure after back-to-back defeats to Milan and Sunderland but the result takes Arsenal back into fourth place as the team targets a place in next season’s Champions League. It also closed the gap to the Gunners north London enemy to seven points.
“Today shows that Arsenal is alive more than anybody thought before the game,” said Wenger. “We had a performance today where the technical side and drive of the team was perfect. Everything was perfect despite a very bad start.
"I think Tottenham started well for the first five minutes. After, it was all us for 85 minutes. We dominated the game. We were 2-0 down and refused to lose the game. We were determined to win. We had a great spirit.
“It is still possible to finish above Tottenham if we keep our run going. It is possible but it will be down to consistency. Everybody in the Premier League now can lose points. We both have difficult schedules but if we continue to play like that, why not?”
Wenger reserved special praise for Walcott and admitted he considered substituting the winger after fans started to express their frustration with his lack of end product in the first half.
“The crowd was starting to get on Theo’s back,” Wenger added. “You don’t know whether to do him a favor by taking him off or leave him on. I felt he had the qualities to get behind defenders. He’s a very direct player. Sometimes he misses a first touch but I felt it was important to keep him in the team for the balance of our side.
“We had a good balance between offense and defense. We had creativity and went into the space behind defenders. I felt it was a performance of good maturity.”
Bayern Munich 2-0 Schalke: Ruthless Ribery strikes twice to earn Bavarians confident victory
Jupp Heynckes' men managed to bounce back from their disappointment against Basel in the Champions League with a confident victory over the Royal Blues.
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Bayern Munich has claimed three important points in its quest for the Bundesliga crown as the club beat title rival Schalke 2-0 at the Allianz Arena.
Franck Ribery scored either side of halftime as the Bavarians managed to keep the pressure on league leading Borussia Dortmund.
Jupp Heynckes' men imposed a fast tempo from the start, and caught Schalke's defense by surprise on a couple of occasions. In the sixth minute the Royal Blues had Timo Hildebrand to thank as the former Stuttgart goalkeeper pulled off a stunning double save to deny Thomas Muller and Arjen Robben.
The World Cup 2010 Golden Boot winner nearly got on the score sheet just before the half-hour mark as he flashed a shot from inside the box just wide of the Schalke's left post. Bayern Munich was dominating the proceedings, however, and was soon rewarded with the opener.
In the 34th Luiz Gustavo did superbly to wrestle Marco Hoger off the ball and pick out Ribery with an immense 30-yard-pass. The Frenchman did brilliantly to bypass the onrushing Hildebrand with an exquisite touch before slotting into an empty net.
Bayern Munich nearly doubled the advantage just before halftime when a spilled ball caught Holger Badstuber by surprise on the goal line, but the defender failed to turn the rebound into the net from point-black range.
The Germany international was in for more frustration as just after the break he saw a towering header cannon off the bar as the Bavarians were turning on the heat.
However, Schalke nearly punished the home side for its inefficiency in front of goal in a subsequent attack, as Joel Matip was released in a one-on-one with Manuel Neuer, but failed toconvert.
Bayern Munich was soon back on top of the game, though, as a minute of brilliance from Ribery created two superb chances for Mario Gomez and Robben, but the duo failed to make these opportunities count.
The Frenchman took the matters into his own hands as in the 55th minute he went on a good run on the left flank before slotting with a precise finish past Hilderbrand to make it 2-0 for the Bavarians.
Bayern Munich was still not content with the result, and had a goal wrongly disallowed with a quarter of an hour before the final whistle as Muller flicked in a free kick from Robben, only to see the strike disallowed for an offside on Ivica Olic.
This victory leaves the Bavarians second in the standing with 48 points, while Schalke sits fourth with 44. Bayern Munich visits Bayer Leverkusen on March 3 in its next league game, while Huub Stevens' men travel to Freiburg on the same day.
Franck Ribery scored either side of halftime as the Bavarians managed to keep the pressure on league leading Borussia Dortmund.
Jupp Heynckes' men imposed a fast tempo from the start, and caught Schalke's defense by surprise on a couple of occasions. In the sixth minute the Royal Blues had Timo Hildebrand to thank as the former Stuttgart goalkeeper pulled off a stunning double save to deny Thomas Muller and Arjen Robben.
The World Cup 2010 Golden Boot winner nearly got on the score sheet just before the half-hour mark as he flashed a shot from inside the box just wide of the Schalke's left post. Bayern Munich was dominating the proceedings, however, and was soon rewarded with the opener.
In the 34th Luiz Gustavo did superbly to wrestle Marco Hoger off the ball and pick out Ribery with an immense 30-yard-pass. The Frenchman did brilliantly to bypass the onrushing Hildebrand with an exquisite touch before slotting into an empty net.
Bayern Munich nearly doubled the advantage just before halftime when a spilled ball caught Holger Badstuber by surprise on the goal line, but the defender failed to turn the rebound into the net from point-black range.
The Germany international was in for more frustration as just after the break he saw a towering header cannon off the bar as the Bavarians were turning on the heat.
However, Schalke nearly punished the home side for its inefficiency in front of goal in a subsequent attack, as Joel Matip was released in a one-on-one with Manuel Neuer, but failed toconvert.
Bayern Munich was soon back on top of the game, though, as a minute of brilliance from Ribery created two superb chances for Mario Gomez and Robben, but the duo failed to make these opportunities count.
The Frenchman took the matters into his own hands as in the 55th minute he went on a good run on the left flank before slotting with a precise finish past Hilderbrand to make it 2-0 for the Bavarians.
Bayern Munich was still not content with the result, and had a goal wrongly disallowed with a quarter of an hour before the final whistle as Muller flicked in a free kick from Robben, only to see the strike disallowed for an offside on Ivica Olic.
This victory leaves the Bavarians second in the standing with 48 points, while Schalke sits fourth with 44. Bayern Munich visits Bayer Leverkusen on March 3 in its next league game, while Huub Stevens' men travel to Freiburg on the same day.
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