Jurgen klopp's boys register comfortable win over Bundesliga champions

Bayern Munich suffered back-to-back Bundesliga defeats for the first time since November 2011 as Borussia Dortmund cruised to victory. 

Pep Guardiola's champions fell behind after Henrikh Mkhitaryan coolly stroked home a fine left-foot finish.
Bayern were 2-0 down at the Allianz Arena when Marco Reus scored after Franck Ribery lost possession.

Dortmund wrapped up the points when Jonas Hofmann found the net before Bayern's Rafinha was sent off.

The Brazilian defender was shown a straight red card in stoppage time after putting a hand in Mkhitaryan's face. 

It completed a frustrating game for Bayern, who started with Toni Kroos, Thomas Muller and Jerome Boateng on the bench ahead of Wednesday's German Cup semi-final with Kaiserslautern.

The hosts, who have now failed to win all three league games since being crowned German champions last month, were a shadow of the team who has dominated on the domestic and European stage this season.

While Bayern lost at home in the league for the first time since October 2012, this result will at least soften the blow for second-placed Dortmund after a one-sided title race. Despite victory, Jurgen Klopp's side are 17 points behind the champions with four games of the league season remaining.

They never looked back after Armenia midfielder Mkhitaryan's composed 20th-minute finish following an incisive run and inch-perfect pass from Reus.

Mario Mandzukic wasted a chance to level shortly before the interval, the Croatian hooking his shot wide after Rafinha's floated ball, and it was a costly miss as Reus doubled Dortmund's advantage soon after Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer had gone off injured.

Neuer's replacement, Lukas Raeder, was beaten after Ribery gifted possession to Dortmund, which allowed the visitors to pour forward and score.
 
More poor defending from Bayern was punished by Hofmann's clinical 56th-minute finish.

Mandzukic had a goal ruled out for offside before Rafinha was sent off for putting his hand in Mkhitaryan's face, in what was a sorry end to a sorry night for Bayern.

Gerrard in tears after win at Anfield over Man city

It takes a brave man to pull his team into a huddle and tell them, ‘We’re going to win the league!’ – but that’s exactly what Steven Gerrard did after Liverpool’s 3-2 victory over Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday.

Such were the powerful images of Gerrard holding back tears following Liverpool’s tenth straight league victory that the emotions of the occasion reached fans inside and outside the ground.

It is Gerrard’s leadership and courage that could see Liverpool lift the Premier League title this season, and Sunday’s victory over Man City was the perfect display of the Reds’ mental balance guiding them to success.




In a highly charged and intense Anfield, Liverpool felt the sucker punch of City’s might when they came back from two goals down to equalise just after the hour mark.

A surreal feeling crept around the ground. Some heads began to drop. The biggest test of Liverpool’s resolve began.

It is testament to the work Brendan Rodgers and psychiatrist Dr Steve Peters have done to instil a winning mentality in the players that Liverpool rose again to find a 78^th  minute winner through the right foot of Philippe Coutinho to reignite the Reds’ title hopes.

A wonderful cohesion exists in Liverpool’s team and squad. For the first time in a long time, here are a group of players enjoying their football and enjoying each others’ success. Now it’s time for the final four hurdles.
Gerrard now faces the biggest test of character of his career. He must carry the team into the final four games of the season – doing exactly what they’ve become so good at: winning.

The younger players will look to Gerrard to absorb his experience in these high-pressure games, although being so close to the title is new ground for the 33-year-old too.

It is important now that Liverpool keep their heads and take every game as it comes – starting with Sunday’s trip to Norwich City.

While fans may do multiple calculations using the league table and ‘what ifs’, Gerrard and the team must maintain the focus they have shown all season to treat each match, whether it be against Norwich, Chelsea, Crystal Palace or Newcastle United as importantly as the next.

There’s a belief and unity about Liverpool Football Club right now, resonating from the fans, management and players. The most important aspect of it all is the ability of the players to pick themselves up from conceding a goal and find a different route to victory.

Arsenal move in to the Champions league slot after convincing win

Lukas Podolski struck twice as Arsenal came from behind to beat West Ham and move back above Everton in the race for a Champions League place. 

Matt Jarvis headed the Hammers in front as they threatened to extend Arsenal's winless league run to five games.

But Podolski levelled with a shot on the turn two minutes later for the impressive FA Cup finalists.

Olivier Giroud's classy finish and Podolski's driven second sealed the win as Arsenal moved up to fourth.
Fresh from sealing a place in the Cup final courtesy of their penalty shoot-out win over Wigan, the result was just what Arsene Wenger's side needed to enhance their chance of qualifying for the Champions League for a 17th successive season.

With Everton playing against Crystal Palace at Goodison Park on Wednesday night, the Gunners could ill afford another slip-up following their recent poor league run. 

And they showed all the resilience - and quality - needed to stay the pace and hold off the determined challenge of Roberto Martinez's in-form side.

Podolski took his goal tally for the season into double figures, while Giroud's crucial strike, early in the second half, was his 20th of the campaign.

After their efforts expended in ending Wigan's reign as Cup holders, Arsenal, despite making five changes to their starting line-up, actually made a sluggish start to offer West Ham early encouragement.

The Hammers, still seeking points to guarantee their Premier League safety, could have taken advantage with Mohamed Diame lifting their best chance over the top from Andy Carroll's low cross.

Giroud could not claim tiredness as an excuse after starting on the bench at Wembley but Arsenal's leading scorer was guilty of a terrible miss with almost half an hour gone as Wenger's side improved.

The Frenchman was sent clear by Santi Cazorla's fine pass but elected to try to flick the ball past Adrian with the outside of his left foot and failed to generate the power to trouble the West Ham keeper.

And the visitors made Giroud and Arsenal pay five minutes before half-time when they went in front through Jarvis.

Antonio Nocerino's persistence bursting in from the right-hand side created the chance and when the ball popped up in the six-yard box, Jarvis nodded in only his second league goal of the season.

Arsenal would have felt the pressure had they gone in behind at the break but they were quickly level as they found a way through a West Ham defence that had previously kept 13 clean sheets this season.

Again Cazorla was the creator following a poor clearance from Stewart Downing and this time his pass was not wasted as Podolski swivelled to drill a left-foot shot across Adrian and into the bottom corner.

The goal lifted the mood around the Emirates Stadium and 10 minutes into the second half Arsenal went ahead thanks to a touch of class from Giroud.

The striker displayed a brilliant first touch from Thomas Vermaelen's long ball back into the box following a corner and with his second drove the ball through the legs of Adrian from just inside the corner of the six-yard box.

The goal sent further confidence soaring through the home side and rather than sit on their lead they went for a third goal to completely kill the game off.

Podolski saw a fierce free-kick beaten away by Adrian and the outstanding Cazorla was only inches wide with a swerving left-foot shot.

But Arsenal's pressure finally paid off 12 minutes from the end when substitute Aaron Ramsey headed down for Podolski to fire past Adrian and keep the Gunners firing on two fronts.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger: 
 
"When the team went through a bad patch with a lack of confidence because of goals going against us, you need to repair that with results and resilience.

"It was a gamble to rest players but I said before the game that it was the oldest team I had played at Arsenal, so I trusted the experience of the players.

"That experience always helps when your backs are against the wall."

"I liked that Giroud used his upper body and got a great first touch to score the goal. He is a great guy and he has gone through a difficult period, but tonight you could see that he is refreshed and he is up for it."

West Ham boss Sam Allardyce: 
 
"After doing so much to get ahead, not going in 1-0 up at half-time was a big disappointment. The second goal sickened me because the performance meant nothing after that. We didn't create enough.

"We've fallen behind in pre-season planning - contracts to new players, along with players in and players out. As soon as you're safe, the planning has to start. That way I don't get shouted at by the wife when I'm on the phone for six hours a day on my holidays."

Sunderland blows Manchester city's title hopes

Manchester City's hopes of winning the Premier League took a big hit with a 2-2 draw at home to last-place Sunderland on Wednesday, with the title chasers needing an 88th-minute goal from Samir Nasri to earn a point.

Third-placed City trimmed the deficit to Liverpool to six points, with one game still in hand, but will see this as two points dropped after losing a second-minute lead given to the team by Fernandinho.

Connor Wickham scored in the 73rd and 83rd minutes to put Sunderland on course for a major upset that would have cut its gap to safety to four points.

But Nasri swept home a shot that trickled through the fingers of goalkeeper Victor Mannone to secure a draw that will be celebrated by Liverpool and second-placed Chelsea.

Looking to bounce back from a 3-2 home loss to Liverpool on Sunday, City was lucky to come away with a point from a sloppy display that will give encouragement to its title rivals.

Without the power and goal threat of the injured Yaya Toure and the guile of David Silva, who was rested as a precaution because of a foot problem, this was one of the rare occasions when City lacked creativity and inspiration going forward.

Indeed, Fernandinho's goal was one of the few times in the first half that Sunderland's defense was unpicked, Sergio Aguero delivering a short pass that was dummied by Alvaro Negredo to allow the Brazil midfielder to collect and shoot inside Mannone's near post.

Sunderland, on a run of five straight defeats and without a win since losing to City in the League Cup final on March 2, battled harder and created the better chances for the remainder of the half, with John O'Shea heading two great chances off target and Fabio Borini thrashing a low effort wide.

City labored in the second half, too, with Aguero's second appearance since his return from a hamstring injury lasting just 55 minutes before he was replaced by Stevan Jovetic. His lack of sharpness will be a concern to City manager Manuel Pellegrini with a month left in the season.

Sunderland sensed an opportunity of an upset and moments after Jack Colback had a shot saved by City goalkeeper Joe Hart, Emanuele Giaccherini crossed for Wickham to apply a volleyed finish for his first goal in the Premier League since 2011.

Wickham then ran onto another pass from Giaccherini on a quick counterattack and shot past Hart at his near post.

Nasri's goal, from Jovetic's cut back, kept Sunderland six points from safety but may not be enough for City in the race to catch Liverpool.

Crystal Palace dented Everton's hopes of Champions League football next season

Tony Pulis's men took the lead through Jason Puncheon midway through the first half before Scott Dann netted from a corner just after the break to give them total control of the game.

Steven Naismith tapped into an empty net on the hour to give the Toffees some hope of maintaining their lead over Arsenal but Cameron Jerome's strike put them down and out, while giving the Eagles their fourth consecutive league win despite a late consolation for Kevin Mirallas.

The hosts - who made three changes as part of an attacking line-up, with Ross Barkley, Mirallas and Aiden McGeady all starting -  forced the pace from the off, with Gareth Barry stooping to head over from a Leighton Baines corner in the first minute.

Palace, though, soaked up Everton's early pressure and looked dangerous on the break themselves.

They went closest to breaking the deadlock in the opening stages when, after 20 minutes, Jerome found space unmarked in the penalty area but his header from Joe Ledley's cross flashed narrowly over the crossbar - although the Palace striker looked to be in an offside position.

The visitors made their pressure count after 23 minutes when Tim Howard could only parry Yannick Bolasie's right-wing cross. The ball fell to Puncheon, who finished neatly from 10 yards for his fourth goal in the last three games.

It was nearly 2-0 before the interval when a breakaway saw Bolasie hit the base of the post from 30 yards and an unbalanced Jerome could only put the rebound wide. Romelu Lukaku then diverted a Barkley cut-back on goal but Julian Speroni dived smartly to push the ball wide.

Ledley forced a fine save from Howard two minutes into the second half but, from the resulting corner, defender Dann's powerful downward header stunned Goodison Park as it beat the unsighted goalkeeper to double Palace's lead.

McGeady almost responded immediately when his fierce 30-yard strike bent narrowly wide of Speroni's left-hand post.

Half-time substitute Naismith did pull Everton back into the game when he converted from close range after Baines had headed a deep Mirallas cross into his path after 61 minutes.

Mirallas then nearly equalised when he met a dipping cross from Baines at the back post but, with 17 minutes left, Puncheon was again the architect, showing superb close control on the edge of the box before sliding the ball into Jerome, who curled it into the bottom corner.

Everton refused to lay down even then and, with four minutes to go, Barkley's through-ball was deflected into the path of Mirallas, who rounded Speroni and fired home.

Despite another late chance for the Belgian forward, who mis-kicked with the goal at his mercy, Everton could not find a way back as Palace hung on to effectively end any lingering fears of relegation and simultaneously blow the race for fourth place in the Premier League wide open.

Gareth Bale secures his first silverware in Real Madrid

In Valencia, in front of a sellout crowd at Mestalla, Real Madrid once again beat Barcelona in the Copa del Rey Final, this time by the score of 2-1. Angel di Maria scored the opening goal of the game, but after Marc Bartra tied it midway through the second half it appeared like the game was going to go into extra time. But with five minutes left in regulation Gareth Bale turned on his turbo booster and decided the Final.

Once again Garardo Martino went with his "big game" lineup with Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Cesc Fabregas all in the starting XI. In the back-line, where Barcelona struggled to get anybody fit in time for kickoff, Marc Bartra started alongside Javier Mascherano, in the heart of the defense.

In games of this magnitude oftentimes the early minutes can be very nervy, but both teams looked ready from the opening whistle and both wasted no time in getting into their respective attacking thirds of the pitch. Barcelona were the first to threaten with a lovely run by Jordi Alba, who was set up by Iniesta, but the chance was well defended by Dani Carvajal. The next chance went in Real's favor with Bale having a good look on goal, but his shot was blocked in the last second by Mascherano.

But quickly after that chance Real Madrid took the lead. Dani Alves lost the ball which led to a classic Real counter which saw Karim Benzema find di Maria who carried the ball into the Barcelona box and beat Jose Manuel Pinto to the far side. It wasn't a good shot and Pinto got a hand on it, but it wasn't enough to keep it from crossing the goal-line.

The goal slowed the pace of the game a little bit, but it started to pick up after a few minute and both teams again started to move the ball well with Barcelona enjoying more of the ball than their opponents. As has been so often the case in recent El Clasicos Real Madrid seemed content to allow Barcelona to hold the ball, but as soon as the Catalans coughed it up Real were in front of the Barcelona goal after just three passes.

Barça's next chance didn't come until the 23rd minute when Alves sent a good cross to the far post where Alba won the header, but put it straight into the hands of Iker Casillas. Quickly thereafter Iniesta sent a dangerous low ball in front of goal, but Neymar was late to the far post and the ball went out of play.

While Barcelona continued to control the play well inside Real's half they struggled mightily to create clear cut chances. The ball moved well from one Barcelona player to another, but most of the movement came at about 30 yards from goal where there was no threat of conceding for Real Madrid. Barcelona also lacked speed in attack which allowed Real to hold their defensive form with little problems.

In the 35th minute Real came very close to doubling their lead as Bale found a wide open Isco in the middle of the penalty box, but out of nowhere came Alba to block the dangerous shot.

From Barcelona's last shot 15 minutes passed before the Catalans were able to take their next one and it came after a brilliant sequence by Iniesta which resulted in a chance for Lionel Messi, but his shot from the edge of the area whistled wide of the post. That ended up being the last chance of the first half and teams went into the dressing rooms with Real Madrid leading 1-0 courtesy of Di Maria's opener.

The second half started with Barcelona making a substitution, but it wasn't one that many expected. Alba, who was one of the most active players on the pitch, didn't return to the pitch and was replaced by Adriano Correia. Later it became known that this substitution was forced by a thigh injury that Alba picked up earlier in the game.

Barça started the second half with good tempo, quickly pressing toward the Real Madrid goal, but it was actually the Madrid side the threatened to score first. Bale had a good look on goal after another lightning quick counter attack, but the Welshman missed the goal. On the very next play Messi won a free kick a good 30-yards from goal but wasn't able to test Casillas from it.

In quick succession Real Madrid then "created" two scoring chances after two nearly disastrous giveaways, one by Busquets the other by Adriano, but neither resulted in any work for Pinto. After a short stint where Barcelona looked more dangerous attack, but couldn't create anything, Real Madrid once again threatened. First Sergio Ramos rose the highest to head the ball straight into the hands of Pinto. Two half-chances followed that one, but again Real Madrid were wasteful.

Tata Martino then completed his second substitution, one that most Barcelona fans were asking for since about the first minute, as Cesc went off the pitch and was replaced by Pedro.

Barcelona immediately looked more dangerous and Bartra went on to put a show in a three minute span. First he made a run that ended with a knuckleball ball shot that Casillas did well to keep out. And then, in the 68th minute, Bartra leveled the score with a brilliant header after a Xavi corner kick. Bartra was given little space by Pepe to take the header but that was all the space the young center-back needed.

Boosted by the goal Barcelona looked more confident in the attacking third and as a result they looked more dangerous. The ball started to move quicker which caused some problems to the Real defense, but apart from a couple half-chances Barcelona couldn't muster up anything else.

Real Madrid, on the other hand, needed just one chance as in the 85th minute Bale outran Bartra and from a bad angle beat Pinto to put Real lead for the second time. In retrospect, Bartra should've fouled Bale on the left sideline even at the risk of a red card, but he didn't and the Welshman made him pay.

In desperation Barcelona then made their final substitution, replacing Bartra with Alexis Sanchez for the final five or so minutes of the game. It didn't look likely that Barcelona would be able to score the second goal of the game and force the game into extra time. However, in the 89th minute Xavi somehow found Neymar in space in front of Casillas, but the Brazilian's powerful drive hit the right post and cannoned right back into the hands of the Real Madrid goalkeeper.

That turned out to be Barcelona's last chance to score the equalizer and Real Madrid went on lift the Copa del Rey trophy for the first time since 2011 when they also beat Barça in the final.

This ended up being an utterly catastrophic week for Barcelona who not only lost the Copa del Rey, but were also knocked out of the Champions league by a different Madrid based team and all but lost any hope of retaining the La Liga crown after the loss to Granada. But that doesn't mean the last five game of the season have to be meaningless as things in football can turn quickly and with Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid both still competing in the Champions League anything can happen in La Liga and the only thing Barça can do at this point is win the remaining five games.

	FC Barcelona	Real Madrid
Possession	68%	32%
Total Shots	12	18
Shots on Target	4	7
Pass Accuracy	89%	79%
Corners	7	5
Fouls	5	8
Offsides	5	2
Yellow Cards	2	3
Red Cards	0	0

Ellen DeGeneres responds to divorce rumours

There's no need to worry about Ellen DeGeneres' marriage to Portia de Rossi. How do we know? DeGeneres said so herself.

The 55-year-old comedian took some time out of her talk show on Wednesday to address rumors that have surfaced in the last several months suggesting she and de Rossi are split-bound.

"The other day I was at the hair salon getting these extensions put in," DeGeneres joked. "And there were tabloids all over the hair salon... and on one of them, Portia and I were in the top right-hand corner. And I thought, 'Oh that's so sweet, they're honoring us.' But then I read the headline underneath. And it said, 'Ellen and Portia Marriage Crumbles.' And I was like, 'Oh, what happened? They seemed so happy.' And then I was like, 'Wait, I'm Ellen.' And I should know if that was happening."

The talk show host's monologue took a more serious turn -- at least for a little while -- when she shot down the rumors.

“It’s so ridiculous to me. There’s not one ounce of truth to any of it. I’m very happily married. In fact, the only thing we ever argue about is who loves who more. That is all. It really is true," she said. "And we argue if we’d let a kangaroo carry us around in its pouch for a year. I would. She wouldn’t. She’ll change her mind. Who wouldn’t want to be in the pouch of a kangaroo for a year? Hopping around. And she’s like 'no' but anyway.”

And if an announcement about some big change in her life ever needs to be made,DeGeneres promised, "I'll announce it here first."

DeGeneres and de Rossi married in August 2008 after four years of dating. At the time, the talk show host called herself "the luckiest girl in the world."