Central Coast Mariners hold a two-point lead over defending champions Brisbane Roar heading into next weekend’s final regular round of Australia’s A-League season.
The Mariners stayed ahead of Brisbane thanks to a Bernie Ibini goal in their 1-0 win over lowly Adelaide United at the weekend.
Meanwhile, Brisbane’s 2-1 victory over Newcastle means the premiership will be decided on the final day of the season.
Albanian striker Besart Berisha and Mitch Nichols scored for the Roar.
Lethal Bayern boost Lahm spirits
Bayern Munich captain Philipp Lahm believes the Bavarian giants can “take apart almost anyone” after their 6-0 hammering of Hertha Berlin meant they had scored 20 goals in their last three games.
Having drawn Marseille in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, Bayern are bidding to claim the treble and are at Borussia M’gladbach tomorrow in the German Cup semi-finals.
“In the last three matches, we’ve seen just how much attacking quality we have in the team. We can take apart almost every opposing team,” said Lahm.
“You have to take your chances and make sure you score. It’s obviously easy after that.”
Guardiola gives up title hope
Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola watched Lionel Messi register his 150th league goal in Saturday’s 2-0 victory over Sevilla, but admitted that even the little master can’t win La Liga this season.
“Forget the league, we are not going to win,” said Guardiola, whose rivals Real Madrid are well ahead of his team at the top of the table.
“If this team has anything then it is that it competes, but there has been another side which has been better and achieved better results than us and there is no need to smooth over the fact.”
APOEL deserve respect – Mourinho
Real Madrid need to respect their Champions League quarter-final opponents APOEL Nicosia, the Spanish giants’ manager Jose Mourinho said.
“APOEL are in the quarter-finals because they have earned it. They perhaps have a less prestigious profile than other teams but they’re having a great Champions League and need to be respected,” Mourinho said.
Real will be without midfielder Xabi Alonso for the first leg of the tie due to suspension but the Portuguese coach said he was unperturbed by the absence.
“Sahin, Lass (Diarra), Granero, all our midfield players can replace him. They are all natural replacements for Xabi,” Mourinho said.
Capello defiant over England exit
Fabio Capello has maintained that his decision to resign as England manager was correct because of the Football Association’s stance on John Terry.
Capello quit his post as England manager last month when the FA stripped Chelsea defender Terry of the captaincy because of allegations of racist abuse towards QPR’s Anton Ferdinand.
“One is innocent until proven guilty,” Capello told Rai Tre programme ‘Che tempo che fa’.
“Why should I take the armband off Terry, seeing as I had only just given it back to him after two years?
“The trial will be on July 9 and I asked them to wait for the case to be heard and then make a decision.”
End of a nightmare, says Gattuso
Gennaro Gattuso described his return after six months as “the end of a nightmare”.
The Milan midfielder has been suffering from myasthenia, a neuromuscular disease that led to fluctuating muscle weakness in the eye. He made his comeback when coming on as a substitute in the final minutes of Saturday’s 2-0 win at Parma.
“It was the end of a nightmare that lasted six months. It’s all over now,” Gattuso said.
“For four months we worked to treat a condition that then proved to be something else entirely. Now with all the cortisone they’ve been giving me, I’ve been pumped up like a boxer!”
Ancelotti pleased
Paris St Germain boss Carlo Ancelotti felt their 2-2 draw at struggling Caen was a point gained rather than two lost.
PSG twice came from behind to snatch a point, which moved them two points clear at the top of Ligue 1 as closest challengers Montpellier lost.
Ancelotti told the club’s website: “It’s a good result because we have not lost that game, in which we had many difficulties.
“In the first period, Caen pressed us a lot in midfield and we were unable to play our game. We were better in second half and we ended up finding the resources to equalise.
“This is an important point in the standings.”