Scott Murray's Blog, page 153

The Fiver | A job everyone else in the world knew would end in utter humiliation

In today’s Fiver: David Moyes, tributes to Manchester and ungrateful fans

Back in 2015, The Fiver journeyed to the exclusive Spanish coastal town of San Sebastián in order to meet up with our long-lost cousin Juan de la Juan de la Juan de la Juan Straw Donkey Nylon Stringed Guitar Olé Olé Olé Eldorado Tiki Taka Pintxo Sun Sea Sand Dust Fiver. What with Juan being Hungarian, neither of us could speak the language, so we sat on the streets drinking bottle after bottle of the refreshing Basque cider until we were moved on, arrested and deported. Those 13 minutes were among the best of The Fiver’s life, as we watched the world go by, catching a glimpse of how the other half live. Look! There’s David Moyes, resident at the Maria Cristina, perhaps the most glamorous hotel in the whole of Spain! See how the Real Sociedad manager swans down its grand staircase, fleet of foot like Gene Kelly, a relaxed smile playing across his tanned, radiant, content face! He really is enjoying the high lif … oy! Officer! Get your hands off! Hagyjon engem békén!

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Football transfer rumours: Everton to land £25m Gylfi Sigurdsson?

Today’s rumours struggle to find the words

David Moyes is to play a part in sourcing his successor at Sunderland. It’s the sort of plan that worked so well a few years ago at Manchester United, isn’t it. Names on his list include Ryan Giggs, Nigel Pearson, David Wagner, Alan Pardew, Garry Monk, Aitor Karanka, Slavisa Jokanovic and Paul Lambert. Perhaps Moyes should also consider Sir Alex Ferguson for a job that’s guaranteed to be a world of pain for whoever stupidly agrees to take it, just to see how he likes it.

Meanwhile sprinting out of the Stadium of Light door, as though chasing a ball lumped straight down the middle because his team-mates have no other ideas left: Jermain Defoe. He’s making a break for it, in double-quick time, in the hope of getting as far away from the mess as possible. Bournemouth, 343 miles south, fits the bill perfectly.

Related: David Moyes resigns as Sunderland manager without compensation

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Women's FA Cup final: Birmingham City 1-4 Manchester City – as it happened

Manchester City ran out easy winners in a one-sided Wembley final, and now have possession of all three domestic trophies.

7.42pm BST

Related: Carli Lloyd strikes as Manchester City beat Birmingham to win first Women’s FA Cup

7.27pm BST

And finally Manchester City make it up the stairs to receive their shiny prize! Cushing leads his team to the ledge. The FA Cup is handed to Steph Houghton. She takes the lid off carefully, because she wants to hoist the cup into the air with force and feeling. Up it goes! And down comes the ticker tape! Wembley erupts in honour of Manchester City, who thoroughly deserved to win today’s final, and as holders of all three domestic trophies, have established themselves as the dominant force in the English game. Next on the tick-list: Europe. But let them enjoy this achievement first, eh.

7.21pm BST

Birmingham come up to collect their runners-up medals. Grim looks etched across disappointed faces, but at least they showed what they are capable of in the second half. Bottom line, they came up against the best team in England, one that’s a class apart right now. Hopefully the experience will stand them in good stead going forward.

7.20pm BST

And now here’s the world player of the year, Carli Lloyd! “It was a fantastic team performance. This group has been trying to get this trophy for some time. I’ve come in and helped push that along, but it was a total team effort. It was a quality win. It’s just a great group of girls, the organisation is brilliant, and I’ve enjoyed my time here!”

7.18pm BST

Manchester City manager Nick Cushing speaks! “The aim after winning the double was to win the FA Cup. We were good in every round, but our performance here today was exceptional. I don’t have to do a lot of mental preparation for these players. I trust them, I know they are big-game players. They just had to find their experiences of big games and repeat them. And they did that. The expectation they put on themselves is greater than anything from outside. I said after we won the double that the next trophy we won would be the most satisfying, because it reinforces that we are the dominant team in England. I thought Keira Walsh’s performance was exceptional!”

7.14pm BST

Manchester City midfielder Keira Walsh has been named as player of the match. She speaks to the BBC. “It feels unbelievable, it’s the biggest trophy in England, and a great feeling to take the trophy back to Manchester.” Her captain Steph Houghton comes over to pitch in: “This is what this team is about, big players for the big occasion. Our first-half performance was unbelievable! Now we’ve got to retain our titles, and take the next step in the Champions League. This girl [Walsh] is young and makes our team tick!”

7.10pm BST

And that’s that! Manchester City have won their first FA Cup after blowing Birmingham City away! They did all of the hard work in 16 first-half minutes, coasting home thereafter! They now hold all of English football’s major trophies at the same time: WSL, League Cup and now the FA Cup! It’s the first time that’s ever happened; no wonder their smiles are wider than Wembley itself!

7.08pm BST

90 min +3: Lloyd drops deep, draws a couple of Birmingham players, and dinks a lovely pass down the inside-left channel for Stanway, who can’t quite burst clear but stops 25 yards out, spins, and sends a shot high over the bar.

7.07pm BST

90 min +2: Houghton sends the resulting free kick, from the edge of the D, straight down Berger’s throat.

7.07pm BST

90 min +1: Mannion is booked for tugging back Lloyd as she threatens to break clear towards the Birmingham box.

7.06pm BST

90 min: There will be three added minutes.

7.05pm BST

89 min: Carter is booked for a late, frustrated lunge on McManus. It was full blooded and not particularly acceptable. She’s lucky it’s only yellow.

7.03pm BST

88 min: Birmingham make their third change, as Paige Williams is replaced by Abbey-Leigh Stringer.

7.01pm BST

86 min: Wellings has been a glorious nuisance since coming on. She cuts in from the left, rides two tackles, and nearly forces a shot through a thicket of players from the edge of the box. Not quite, but that was a purposeful run.

6.59pm BST

85 min: Lloyd and Stokes very nearly combine to release Duggan down the left, but the close-range triangulation doesn’t quite come off.

6.58pm BST

83 min: Before the free kick, a Birmingham sub: Andrine Hegerberg is replaced by Chloe Peplow. Duggan floats the set piece towards the far post, forcing Berger to concede a corner. Nothing much comes of that.

6.57pm BST

82 min: Bronze drops a shoulder and looks to break past Harrop on the right. She’s bashed to the floor without ceremony. A free kick in a dangerous position near the Birmingham box.

6.56pm BST

Oh this is a lovely finish. With Birmingham threatening to get back into the game, they’re polished off by Jill Scott, who takes down a floated left-to-right cross by Duggan and scoops a clever shot into the top left with Berger slightly out of position. That’s a very well-crafted goal.

6.54pm BST

79 min: Stanway goes up for a high ball with Berger. The pair clash accidentally, and now it’s the Birmingham keeper rolling around in agony. She’s fine after some treatment.

6.53pm BST

78 min: City make their third change: Abbie McManus comes on for Megan Campbell.

6.53pm BST

77 min: Duggan is this close to releasing Lloyd down the middle with a first-time pass down the centre. But Harrop reads the play well, stepping in to intercept and put a stop to Manchester City’s gallop.

6.51pm BST

75 min: So, then, is the comeback on?! Carter bustles down the middle of the pitch, breaking upfield from a Manchester City corner. She very nearly breaks a couple of challenges to sprint clear, but her touch eventually lets her down. Birmingham keep coming, though, with the ball swung into the Manchester City box from the right. Bardsley, by her right-hand post, leaps and claims, though she’s clattered by an over-eager White for her trouble. Ooyah. Oof. The keeper’s taken a knock there, but she looks OK to continue.

6.49pm BST

Taking Ayisi off might have been a strange move, but sending Wellings on was pretty smart! Brazil bustles into the Manchester City area down the right, reaches the byline, and cuts the ball back for Wellings, who dispatches it into the bottom left, a glorious whip-cracker of a shot that leaves Bardsley with no chance! What a lovely finish!

6.47pm BST

72 min: That corner is a non-event, but Manchester City seem to have woken up again now. Lloyd dribbles down the left and earns another corner. Houghton bullies her way through a crowded area and gets a head on the ball, but can only send it wide right.

6.46pm BST

70 min: Houghton sends a free kick halfway to Oxford Street. That was wild. But no matter, Manchester City come straight back at Birmingham, Duggan making ground down the left and forcing a corner. Before the set piece can be taken, Nikita Parris is replaced by Georgia Stanway.

6.44pm BST

68 min: Manchester City seem perfectly happy to sit back and contain Birmingham right now. They sit back and sit back. But then suddenly Lloyd dances down the left and flicks the ball inside for Duggan, who shuttles the ball down the centre with a view to releasing Parris on goal. But Berger has read it well, coming out of her area to clatter the ball clear. Just in time.

6.42pm BST

66 min: The stands are still bubbling away with excitement, but it’s all gone a bit quiet on the pitch.

6.40pm BST

64 min: Freda Ayisi has been Birmingham’s best player by some distance. So it’s very strange that she’s been hooked. Charlie Wellings takes her place. Ayisi doesn’t look particularly happy about it, and to be frank she’s got a point. That’s a strange decision.

6.39pm BST

62 min: Bardsley has something to do in the Manchester City goal at long last! White takes a whack from the best part of 30 yards. It’s a glorious low fizzer which nearly finds the bottom-right corner. Bardsley gets down well to parry, then gather the loose ball with the alert Ayisi rushing in. That’s further raised the volume of this record crowd, who if the BBC shots are anything to go by, are enjoying themselves very much to the last woman, girl, man and boy. It’s been a brilliant atmosphere from the get-go.

6.36pm BST

61 min: Today’s official attendance has been announced. It’s 35,271: a record for a Women’s FA Cup final.

6.35pm BST

60 min: A throw for Manchester City out on the right, deep in Birmingham territory. Time for Megan Campbell to showcase her mega throw. She launches it long, as you’d expect, but the accuracy is all out of whack, and it’s sent sailing into the grateful arms of Berger.

6.34pm BST

58 min: Berger, with the ball at her feet, sends a clearance straight towards Parris. The ball threatens to balloon straight back into an unguarded goal, but there’s enough of an arc for the keeper to reposition herself and make the catch. Nearly very embarrassing.

6.32pm BST

57 min: Carter bustles from deep in her own half and rolls a pass down the middle for Ayisi, who tries to drift to the right to create space for a shot, but can’t quite manufacture anything.

6.31pm BST

56 min: The first switch of the match is made by Manchester City. Toni Duggan comes on for Melissa Lawley.

6.30pm BST

54 min: There’s a lull, and then suddenly Stokes slips a pass down the inside-left channel from deep to release Parris into the area. Parris opens up and looks to curl a sidefoot round Berger and into the bottom right. The keeper gets a touch, a fine save, and the ball’s run out of play on the right for a corner. Berger claims the set piece.

6.27pm BST

51 min: Suddenly Manchester City spring into life, Parris dribbling in the baroque style down the right. She twists into the box before shooting. The ball’s deflected out for a corner, which is hit long from the right. Houghton strides in from the left and crashes a header towards the top left. It’s only just off target. Nobody in a Birmingham shirt made a serious challenge there. Another Manchester City goal, and this really is all over. I mean... well... you know.

6.24pm BST

49 min: Birmingham have enjoyed the bulk of the possession since the restart. Small acorns, and all that. Manchester City are currently doing what they have to do, and no more.

6.22pm BST

47 min: Ayisi makes good down the left and lays off to Williams, who curls into the centre for White. The striker handles as she attempts to turn on the penalty spot, and the move comes to an abrupt end. That was better from Birmingham, though, with the livewire Ayisi in the thick of it.

6.21pm BST

Birmingham City get the second half underway! No changes, so the eleven Blues starters have been given the chance to right some wrongs. Carter looks to bomb down the right but she runs into trouble and the first phase of the potential Birmingham comeback comes to naught.

6.08pm BST

Half-time reading: For anyone enjoying the women’s game for the first time, and therefore desirous of knowing more, this classic Joy of Six by the wonderful Georgina Turner will act as a handy primer.

Related: The Joy of Six: Women's football | Georgina Turner

6.05pm BST

And that’s that for the first 45. Manchester City have been a class apart, with Lucy Bronze nothing short of sensational. By contrast, Freda Ayisi is the only Birmingham player who has looked anywhere near to her best. It’s a huge half-time team-talk for Birmingham boss Marc Skinner. His opposite number Nick Cushing just needs to keep his players focused, and the cup is theirs.

6.02pm BST

44 min: Birmingham are struggling to keep hold of the ball. Manchester City keep coming back at them. White tries to get something moving with a determined dribble down the middle, but she’s robbed by Walsh, who knocks her to the ground with a legitimate charge. It’s been a painful half of football for Blues, one way or another.

6.00pm BST

42 min: Lloyd sashays down the left, reaches the bylne and pulls one back for Christiansen on the penalty spot. A good first touch, and it’s a free shot from 12 yards. But Christiansen takes her eye off the ball and that chance is gone. No matter, a pass is laid off to the right for the in-rushing Bronze, who skelps a rising shot wide of the right stick from the edge of the area. Birmingham desperately need half-time.

5.57pm BST

40 min: Manchester City are trying their party pieces now. Stokes glides effortlessly down the left and tries to float a chip into the top right from the left-hand corner of the area. That redefined ambition. But everything’s gone Manchester City’s way so far, so why not?

5.57pm BST

39 min: Perhaps understandably, Birmingham’s heads are addled. Berger shanks a dreadful clearing kick straight to Christiansen, who has Lloyd to her right. It’s two on one for a split second, but Christiansen doesn’t play the immediate pass, and the chance to embarrass Birmingham’s keeper is gone.

5.55pm BST

37 min: A slight lull as Bronze gets some running repairs. A problem with a contact lens, by the looks of it. The break allows Birmingham to get together and have another tactical pow-wow. How desperately they need something to happen for them before half-time.

5.53pm BST

35 min: Mayling tries to spark something in attack for Birmingham with a romp down the right. But her cross is clanked away with great purpose by Campbell. Bardsley hasn’t had anything particularly serious to deal with yet.

5.52pm BST

33 min: Before kick-off, Birmingham get into a little huddle in order to rally each other and clear their heads. This final is already spiralling out of control for them. Manchester City, mind, have been marvellous so far.

5.51pm BST

The ball’s shuttled back up the left wing by Christiansen to Campbell, who quarterbacks a mammoth diagonal pass from deep to the far stick. The big-game genius Lloyd rises above Berger and heads into the top right. That’s a fine header, but not great defending. Berger was late coming off her line, and White was the only Birmingham player challenging. Had Lloyd not met that cross, chances are Houghton, standing inches behind the USA star, would have converted herself.

5.48pm BST

31 min: Lloyd drops deep, then slips a pass down the inside-left channel to release Lawley. She enters the area and shoots low towards the bottom right. Berger turns the effort past the post for a corner. From which...

5.47pm BST

29 min: Mayling slides a fine ball down the right wing for Ayisi, who turns on the jets and nips past Stokes. It looks as though she may have run the ball out of play but, right next to the corner flag, digs out a fine cross which Bardsley does extremely well to claim under pressure from Brazil.

5.45pm BST

27 min: Birmingham again try to respond with gusto. The effervescent Ayisi dribbles straight down the middle of the park, and for a second it looks as though the pitch is going to open up for her. But she hesitates fatally, as Christiansen - not resting on her laurels, closes her down from behind and nips away with the ball.

5.44pm BST

What a stunning goal this is! Bronze Garrinchas her way down the right, beating two opponents with ball-on-string close control. She bursts into the area and loops a cross towards the far post. Christiansen rushes in, and blooters a rising sidefoot into the top left! That’s such a sweet strike, after a brilliant run and assist from Bronze! Gold standard.

5.42pm BST

24 min: Free kick for Birmingham, 40 yards from goal. Williams looks to find White on the right-hand corner of the six-yard box with a diagonal spray; there’s too much juice on the ball and it floats out of play to the right of goal. She looks frustrated, but it was a clever idea.

5.40pm BST

22 min: Harrop attempts to get something going for Birmingham by creaming a shot goalwards from the best part of 30 yards down the inside-right channel. It’s ambitious, and Bardsley gathers without too much fuss. But Birmingham have bounced straight back off the ropes.

5.39pm BST

20 min: That was a delightfully worked free kick. Had Bronze not met it, Houghton was waiting behind to attack the ball. Birmingham respond well with some probing down either wing, as Manchester City momentarily sit back to admire their work. But nothing’s occurring near the box. All very sterile in one sense; a decent enough response to conceding in another.

5.36pm BST

Free kick for Manchester City out on the right touchline as Williams takes out Parris. Campbell whips a glorious set piece towards the front stick; Bronze rises from a thicket of players and plants a marvellous header into the top right!

5.33pm BST

16 min: Ayisi is a constant menace. She buzzes around Campbell and nearly forces an error as Manchester City attempt to stroke it around the back. A better moment for Campbell soon follows, as Parris earns a corner for Manchester City down the right. It’s fired towards the near post, where Campbell opens her body and attempts to sidefoot into the top right. That’s not too far away, whipping the side netting and fooling a few supporters for a nanosecond.

5.30pm BST

13 min: Manchester City go basic, launching long down the right, allowing Parris to chase. She gets to the ball ahead of Sargeant and earns a throw deep in Birmingham territory. A chance for Megan Campbell to Delap one of her special long throws into the area? Not this time. Manchester City go short, and the momentum is eventually lost.

5.28pm BST

11 min: Stokes and Lawley combine well down the left. Lawley twists this way and that, doubling back upfield before curling a gorgeous cross towards the far post. Scott and Lloyd are lurking, but Harrop eyebrows out for a corner at the last. Berger comes off her line to claim the set piece in assertive style. That’s fine football all round.

5.26pm BST

9 min: The first sighting of Lloyd. She peals off her marker as Bronze crosses deep from the right wing. A header’s sent goalwards, but she’s cycling backwards and stretching, and can’t get enough power on it. Berger plucks from the air. It’s been a lively start, both teams pushing forward in the progressive style.

5.25pm BST

7 min: Wembley might not be packed to capacity, but the atmosphere is magnificent. The fans rumble away in the background on a rolling boil. The volume rises even further as Campbell sends a weak clearing header straight at Ayisi, who looks for the top right from 25 yards. The shot contains enough venom, but it’s straight at Bardsley who claims with ease.

5.23pm BST

5 min: After a nervous start, Birmingham are beginning to assert themselves. Williams hoicks long into the Manchester City area from the left. Bardsley is forced to come off her line and punch clear, a task she performs impressively given the sun shimmering in her eyes.

5.22pm BST

4 min: Ayisi and Brazil take turns to bother Bronze down the Birmingham left. Their pace and persistence forces the Manchester City full back to concede the game’s first corner. Bronze atones by heading the set piece powerfully clear, and it turns out she was being unfairly hassled anyway. Free kick.

5.19pm BST

2 min: Manchester City are on the front foot early doors, first to everything in the midfield. Bronze makes good down the right and slips a ball along the channel for Parris, who breaks into the Birmingham area only to shoot wildly from a tight angle. But that’s a bright start by the favourites.

5.17pm BST

Before kick-off, pennants are exchanged. Or they would be, except Birmingham captain Kerys Harrop doesn’t have one to swap. Steph Houghton of Manchester City has the good grace to look embarrassed as she hands hers over. Manchester City, in their Cambridge blue, get the ball rolling. Birmingham are kitted out in their royal blue. We’re off!

5.11pm BST

The teams are out! A crowd of around 40,000 raises the Wembley roof as the two Cities take to the pitch. It’s sunny, though an earlier sprinkling of summer rain has greased the surface. Dignitaries various meet the teams. We’ll be off soon!

4.41pm BST

Is it to be a shoot-out between two star strikers this evening? Birmingham forward Ellen White slotted home the decisive penalty kick in Blues’ semi-final against Chelsea. She doesn’t much care for the term “underdogs”, as Nick Ames reports.

Related: Birmingham City Ladies eye FA Cup final win at expense of big spenders

Related: Carli Lloyd: ‘I’ll do anything to win the FA Cup final for Manchester City’

4.22pm BST

Birmingham City: Berger, Mayling, Mannion, Harrop, Sargeant, Williams, Hegerberg, Carter, Ayisi, Brazil, White.
Subs: Baggaley, Wellings, Westwood, Peplow, Stringer.

Manchester City: Bardsley, Stokes, Houghton, Campbell, Bronze, Walsh, Christiansen, Scott, Parris, Lawley, Lloyd.
Subs: Hourihan, McManus, Beattie, Stanway, Duggan.

11.09am BST

Arsenal have been the dominant club of the Women’s FA Cup. The Gunners have won the trophy on 14 occasions since its inception in 1971; only Southampton with eight wins, and Doncaster Belles with six, come anywhere close. They’ve won eight of the last 11 finals, including the one last year in which Danielle Carter saw off Chelsea.

They won’t be adding to that total this year, though. In the quarter finals, the holders came up against Birmingham City. Blues defender Marisa Ewers whistled one into the top corner, Ann-Katrin Berger made a string of stunning saves, and the holders were out. Birmingham went on to beat 2015 winners Chelsea in the semis on penalty kicks - Berger again the hero of the hour - and now they have a chance to win the FA Cup for the second time in their history.

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Manchester City 2-1 Leicester City: Premier League – as it happened

Manchester City closed in on a Champions League spot, though their win relied on Riyad Mahrez double-hitting a second-half penalty

2.49pm BST

Here’s Jamie Jackson’s match report.

Related: Manchester City hold off Leicester after Riyad Mahrez double-hit penalty

2.29pm BST

The free kick comes to nothing. Manchester City try to break upfield through Sane, with the Leicester goal unguarded. The move breaks down, but it doesn’t matter! That’s that! Manchester City hold on, and go third, two points above Liverpool, Champions League football next season now very much in their grasp! They were brilliant this time last week against Crystal Palace. They were again today for about 40 minutes. After that, it was all about hanging on, and they were thankful that Riyad Mahrez somehow managed to double-kick his second-half penalty, rendering it invalid. On another day, the outgoing champions Leicester might have got something here. But as it is they stay ninth. And the Etihad breathes out in relief! Not bad entertainment, huh?

2.27pm BST

90 min +8: Silva is booked for stopping Mahrez as the Leicester man makes good down the right. A free kick, a chance for Leicester to load the Manchester City box, a last roll of the dice. Schmeichel comes up for it.

2.26pm BST

90 min +7: Gray curls in a cross from the left. Ndidi clatters into Caballero. A free kick for City, though we probably still have at least a minute of this game still to run after the Otamendi injury.

2.24pm BST

90 min +6: All a bit scrappy. The hosts are happy to break up the play. Leicester meanwhile are rushed into mistakes.

2.23pm BST

90 min +5: Jesus overload: Navas comes on for Gabriel.

2.22pm BST

90 min +3: A long throw from the Leicester left leads to some head tennis in the Manchester City box. The hosts clear. Silva should send Aguero away, but not for the first time today his final ball is poor. Leicester break back upfield, Vardy tearing clear down the right after being released by a fancy Mahrez flick. But upon entering the box his pass selector goes haywire and a great chance is spurned.

2.20pm BST

90 min +2: There might be more than seven added minutes now, because the first two are spent treating Otamendi and Jesus, both of whom are down with medical issues. To be fair to Otamendi, he took a clatter on the noggin while defending Ndidi’s shot, and is all taped up as a result.

2.19pm BST

90 min: Another poor clearing header by Otamendi. The ball falls to Ndidi, who has chance to shoot from 20 yards. To Otamendi’s credit, he redeems himself by leaping in front of the shot, and the danger is deflected away. There will be seven added minutes.

2.17pm BST

89 min: Vardy and Otamendi battle down the Leicester right. The ball looks like it’s clanked off the striker and out for a goal kick, but a corner’s awarded. Nervous moments for Manchester City, but they deal with the set piece easily enough.

2.16pm BST

87 min: Manchester City hog the ball in the midfield, then take their sweet time over a free kick. The clock is their friend.

2.14pm BST

85 min: Mahrez skips past Jesus down the right, then feeds Simpson who reaches the byline and finds Vardy with a low pass at the near post. Vardy tries to flick it into the net from a tight angle, but can only send it wide right of the goal. Manchester City are making hard work of closing out this victory.

2.12pm BST

84 min: Aguero, on the fifth anniversary of his greatest moment, is booked for standing in the road of a quickly-taken Leicester free kick.

2.11pm BST

83 min: Aguero Maradonas his way down the inside-right channel. He nearly fashions space to score, but Chilwell stands firm and that’s a corner. Silva takes, receives the ball back, and curls it onto the head of Kompany, eight yards out. The big defender can’t keep his effort down, and it sails harmlessly over the crossbar.

2.10pm BST

82 min: Zabaleta comes on for De Bruyne.

2.08pm BST

80 min: Albrighton clatters straight through Fernandinho. Payback time for that earlier elbow. He’s booked, and immediately hooked by Craig Shakespeare. Gray comes on in his furious stead.

2.07pm BST

78 min: To Mahrez’s great credit, he doesn’t complain too much, though that’s got to sting. Aguero comes on for Sterling.

2.06pm BST

77 min: Astonishing scenes! Mahrez slips backwards as he addresses the ball. He sends it into the top left, but he’s kicked it against his right-hand boot en route to the goal. A double hit, and that’s disallowed! Free kick for Manchester City! The correct decision, but an awful break for Leicester, who haven’t had the rub of the green today.

2.04pm BST

76 min: Vardy latches onto a poor Otamendi clearing header and plays the ball out right to Mahrez, who twists and turns, enters the area, and is clumsily upended by Clichy. No question!

2.02pm BST

74 min: The corner’s a non-event, the ball ending all the way back at the feet of Caballero. A new attack is launched down the left, and Clichy ends up snatching at a shot from 25 yards, the ball sailing harmlessly wide right of goal.

2.01pm BST

73 min: Before the set piece is taken, Okazaki is replaced by Slimani.

2.00pm BST

72 min: Sane has a shot from 20 yards towards the bottom left. Schmeichel snaffles. Manchester City come again, Fuchs clattering into Jesus down the right. He’ll be booked for that, but beforehand, Sterling latches onto the loose ball, breaks into the area, and has a shot from a tight angle. It’s deflected out of play by Benalouane for a corner.

1.58pm BST

70 min: Manchester City come back at Leicester, Silva striding into acres down the left. But with the visitors light at the back, and Jesus free in the middle, he very uncharacteristically misplaces his cross. Toure tries to revive the attack with a shot from distance, but it’s weak.

1.57pm BST

69 min: Leicester are first to everything right now. Okazaki latches onto a loose ball in the midfield and nearly sends Albrighton clear down the left. Then Chilwell slide-tackles a dithering Sterling, which nearly gets Amartey going down the right. Manchester City snuff out both attacks before things get serious.

1.56pm BST

68 min: Leicester replace King with Amartey.

1.55pm BST

66 min: Albrighton is incensed after Fernandinho’s elbow crunches into his eye. He’ll have one hell of a shiner in the morning, because there’s quite a lump already up. To be fair to the Manchester City man, it looked accidental, though you can forgive the victim for not seeing it that way.

1.53pm BST

64 min: Fernandinho twists his way past Chilwell on the right. He finds Toure on the edge of the area. Toure’s blooter is blocked, allowing Okazaki to zip upfield on the counter. He’s fouled slyly by De Bruyne. No booking. This is good end-to-end fun. Next goal wins?

1.50pm BST

62 min: Silva strides into space down the left and shuttled the ball further forward for Sane. The young winger bursts into the box and whips a menacing ball through the six-yard area. Problem is, neither Sterling nor Jesus has kept up with play. Leicester were open at the back there. An attack that may at least spark Manchester City back into life?

1.49pm BST

60 min: Vardy outmuscles Toure, of all people, by the centre circle and very nearly sends Okazaki on the break down the right wing. Not quite. But that’s some wonderful old-school scrapping from Vardy. Leicester’s players and manager were talking a lot before the game about their desire to finish in the top ten. After a cold start, they’re playing now like they mean it.

1.46pm BST

58 min: Chilwell slips a clever ball down the left channel for Okazaki, who earns a corner with a low, fizzing cross. The set piece doesn’t lead to anything of import, but it does betray Manchester City’s current nervous state; a bit of head tennis in the box, the defence taking a while to clear, and in an uncertain, messy style to boot. The business end of the season, right here.

1.45pm BST

56 min: Manchester City are still enjoying the lion’s share of possession, but there’s a sense of Leicester getting right back into this game nonetheless. Vardy embarks on another purposeful run down the right but can’t quite break clear.

1.42pm BST

54 min: In fact, that cross has given Albrighton a bloody nose, and he’s down getting industrial/comical levels of cotton wool inserted into both nostrils.

1.41pm BST

52 min: Manchester City try to re-establish some control with a period of sterile domination in the midfield. Sterling eventually breaks ranks with a run down the right. His cross smacks into the busy Albrighton’s coupon. Oof! Ooyah! Sterling has the brazen chutzpah to ask for a penalty for handball, but he’s not getting that one.

1.38pm BST

50 min: Manchester City look collectively nervous. Chilwell dances down the left and beats a couple of men before being cynically checked by Kompany on the halfway line. The Manchester City captain is booked for his trouble.

1.37pm BST

48 min: All a bit scrappy in the early stages. And another chance for Albrighton, found eight yards out by a Vardy right-wing cross, but he can’t connect cleanly with his volley and that’s that.

1.35pm BST

And we’re off again! No changes. Leicester start the second half confidently, Albrighton having an ambitious dig from distance. The home supporters are slightly nervous and quiet right now.

1.21pm BST

Half-time reading: White Hart Lane closes its doors for the final time in its current guise tomorrow. David Hytner spoke to players, the club historian and a fan about their misty water-coloured memories of this grand old stadium. It’s a cracking read. Enjoy, enjoy.

Related: Goodbye White Hart Lane: an iconic stadium remembered by those who knew it best

1.18pm BST

Okazaki threatens to dribble clear down the centre. Then Mahrez has a look out wide on the right. In the end, the half-time whistle came at a bad time for Leicester, who were beginning to threaten a suddenly unsure Manchester City. This is perfectly poised now, especially when you consider the mild controversy over the opening goal. Leicester will come out with renewed fire in their bellies. Can Manchester City counter? It’s going to be a blast finding out. The second half promises much. Go nowhere!

1.14pm BST

44 min: So much for Leicester’s desperation to hear the half-time whistle, and for the air of contentment settling around the Etihad. Pulitzer, please! And since you’re here, etc.

1.13pm BST

But the three points aren’t done and dusted quite yet! There appears no danger when Albrighton picks up possession on the left. Then he curls a fine cross into the centre. It’s dropping towards the penalty spot. Kompany misjudges the flight, and Otamendi slips. That allows Okazaki to twist his body and send a screaming volley into the net, Caballero beaten by the sheer speed and violence of the strike. Leicester are back in it!

1.11pm BST

40 min: An air of contentment settles around the Etihad. Manchester City have found their groove and the Champions League is within touching distance now.

1.08pm BST

38 min: Leicester are desperate to hear the half-time whistle. They can’t get out of their final third. Manchester City are relentless right now. They’re well worth their two-goal lead.

1.08pm BST

Toure wants to take the penalty on his birthday. Let’s hope someone’s bought him a cake, because he’s forced to step aside for Jesus. It’s the correct decision, as the astonishing young man gives Schmeichel the eyes, sends him the wrong way, and calmly slots the penalty into the bottom left!

1.05pm BST

35 min: Silva slips a pass down the inside left channel. Sane dribbles into the area and is unceremoniously upended by a clumsy Benalouane lunge. No question about that! The defender is booked.

1.04pm BST

33 min: De Bruyne earns a corner down the left off Simpson. Sane takes the corner. Benalouane heads clear with ease. On the touchline, Craig Shakespeare is still arguing the toss over the goal with the fourth official. He probably should let it go and start screaming at his team instead; they’ve lost their defensive discipline since the goal.

1.03pm BST

31 min: And it’s nearly a penalty kick, as Silva slips a pass down the inside-right channel Fernandinho bursting into the area. Fuchs leans into the Manchester City man. From behind? From the side? The referee decides the latter, and to be fair Fernandinho doesn’t complain at all.

1.02pm BST

Well this had been coming. Sane goes on a manic dribble down the left. He hooks a cross towards the far post. Silva, 12 yards out and level with the right-hand post, slaps a simple shot into the right-hand side of the net! Sterling swings a leg at it, and might be the width of his shirt offside. Does he connect? Leicester think so, and there’s a period of confusion while a row takes place. But it would have been harsh to rule that out. It’s not clear Sterling took a touch. Plus, benefit to the attacker and all that. It’s a goal!

12.58pm BST

27 min: Toure finds Sterling down the right with a lovely pass. Sterling then outstrips Chilwell brilliantly. He’s clear in the area! He smashes the ball through the six-yard box, hoping to find Jesus for a tap-in, but Mahrez hooks the ball back upfield a little. Clichy and Sane both have opportunity to return it with venom, but hesitate a little. Sane’s eventual shot is deflected out, and once again the corner doesn’t lead to much.

12.55pm BST

25 min: De Bruyne has a whack from 25 yards. It’s not the cleanest strike, but it twangs off Benalouane’s knee, and for a second looks like heading for the top left, Schmeichel stranded with feet planted. To Leicester’s great relief, the ball flies wide of the post, and the corner isn’t all that. Manchester City are getting closer and closer, though.

12.54pm BST

23 min: Clichy, out on the left, crosses for Sterling, who looks to sidefoot into the top left from the penalty spot. Ndidi gets in the road to deflect out for a corner; the set piece isn’t anything to write home about. Manchester City are well on top here.

12.53pm BST

22 min: Guardiola is pacing the touchline with a look of concern etched across his brow. He shouldn’t be too concerned; his team are enjoying 70% of possession right now.

12.52pm BST

21 min: From the Manchester City corner, Schmeichel claims and pearls a long kick down the left for Vardy to chase. The striker tussles with the backtracking Clichy, and is slightly fortunate to earn a free kick after what looked like a 50-50 shoulder barge. The free kick is in a dangerous position, a chance for Leicester to load the box. But it’s headed clear easily enough by Otamendi.

12.50pm BST

19 min: ... Silva bustles down the inside-left channel, reaches the byline and pulls back for Sane on the left-hand corner of the six-yard box. He should get a shot on target, but scuffs a low cross through the six-yard box instead. Fuchs taps out in a panic for another corner.

12.49pm BST

18 min: Clichy crosses low from the left. The ball clanks off Mahrez and out for a corner, though Schmeichel is convinced he’d kept it in. And from the set piece ...

12.46pm BST

16 min: A free kick for Manchester City out on the right. The hosts load the box, but De Bruyne hits an uncharacteristically poor one, failing to beat the first man, and King clears.

12.45pm BST

14 min: Toure is given a stern talking to after sliding through the back of Okazaki. It should have been a booking, really, but the ref’s just let King clatter Jesus to the floor without reprimand, so he’s trying his best to keep things fair.

12.44pm BST

13 min: Manchester City knock it around the middle of the park awhile in the trademark

Arsenal
Guardiola style. They don’t go anywhere.

12.41pm BST

11 min: Leicester launch a long ball down the middle. Otamendi’s clearing header isn’t up to much, and it allows Albrighton the opportunity to send a dipping volley goalwards from 25 yards. It would have taken some strike to whistle that one into the net, to be fair, and this isn’t some strike. It’s easily gathered by Caballero.

12.40pm BST

9 min: And now it’s Leicester’s turn to spurn a glorious headed chance! Chilwell earns a corner down the left - he’s the real deal, this lad - and the set piece drops towards Ndidi, unmarked, six yards out! He has to force Caballero into a save at the very least, but he’s leaning back and sends a terrible effort miles over the crossbar. This really should be 1-1.

12.38pm BST

8 min: De Bruyne is found tight on the right by Toure. He curls a majestic low cross into the Leicester box, Jesus a toenail away from connecting on the slide, ten yards out. Schmeichel gathers.

12.37pm BST

5 min: This is a bright start. Sane, in an advanced position down the left, pulls the ball back for Clichy, who swings a high one into the area for De Bruyne. Benalouane does very well to get his nut on the cross before De Bruyne can plant a header into the net. Leicester City look a bit unsure of themselves, much as you’d expect of a team with a rejigged defence.

12.35pm BST

4 min: ... it really should be 1-0 to Manchester City. The corner’s whipped to the near post, and Fernandinho rises six yards out. He’s unchallenged, and should score, but he doesn’t even hit the target, his header bounding off to the left of the goal. Leicester break upfield, and for a second it looks as though Vardy’s stripped Otamendi down the inside-right channel. He can’t muscle clear, though he is able to have a shot from the right-hand corner of the box. He doesn’t connect properly at all.

12.33pm BST

3 min: Silva slips a pass down the left for Sane to romp onto. He crosses low with a view to finding Jesus (behave) but Fuchs steps in to clatter the ball out for a corner. From which...

12.32pm BST

And we’re off! Both teams will be thinking of times past: it was five years ago to the day when Sergio Aguerrrrrrrroooooooo scored against QPR to secure Manchester City’s third English title, while Leicester are no longer the reigning champions, Chelsea having swiped their title last night. Or maybe they’re still champions until the end of the season, that seems a fair way to go about things on an official basis. Either way, you get the general point. Anyway, Okazaki gets the ball rolling, and it’s not long before the exciting Chilwell probes down the left. But his ball inside is no good. Manchester City counter through Fernandinho down the right, but he runs out of room. A nice open start!

12.29pm BST

The teams are out! Manchester City sport their famous Cambridge blue, while Leicester City are in their equally storied royal blue. It’s a first-class, first-choice aesthetic delight. An expectant atmosphere rumbles around the City of Manchester Stadium. We’ll be off in a minute! Woo hoo!

12.19pm BST

Pep Guardiola talks! “We had a long week to recover, so I have named an unchanged team.” He’s informed that this is the first time he’s done that in the Premier League. “The first time, huh? You’re welcome!” And then onto serious business. “Every game is a new one. We are in a position where we cannot drop points. Sergio Aguero is ready to go if we need him. Leicester have some problem absences, but the basis of their idea is the same. We have a new champion, but the last championship was theirs, and apart from Kante this is the same team, the same philosophy. They defend good, they are so fast with their strikers, they are well organised, they are fighters, that’s why they were champions.”

12.14pm BST

Craig Shakespeare speaks! “Christian Fuchs will move across from left back to centre back, and Ben Chilwell will come in at left back. Christian’s experienced, he’s got 70-odd caps for Austria, he’s played there before. It allows Ben to come in, and he’s got pace and enthusiasm to burn in the left-back area. Our form and morale is good. We come under a stern test today. We have good offensive players, Jamie Vardy is in a good run of scoring goals, Riyad Mahrez can create, Marc Albrighton can create, Shinji Okazaki can create. We have to be mindful of City’s threats, but we also know what we are good at. Other teams have tried, it was difficult for Palace last week, we have to be resilient and aware on the transition. But it’s about what we do today. We’ve spoken about trying to finish as high as possible.”

11.40am BST

No changes for Manchester Cit ... hold on ... no changes to a Pep Guardiola team? Eh? Well, if it ain’t broke ... and they did belt Crystal Palace with this line-up last Saturday lunchtime.

Leicester City meanwhile are forced into two changes to the team sent out to batter Watford last weekend. Last season’s two-goal hero Robert Huth has a foot problem, while Danny Drinkwater is out with a thigh strain. In come Ben Chilwell and Andy King.

11.32am BST

Manchester City: Caballero, Fernandinho, Kompany, Otamendi, Clichy, Toure, Sane, De Bruyne, Silva, Sterling, Gabriel Jesus.
Subs: Zabaleta, Fernando, Nolito, Aguero, Kolarov, Jesus Navas, Gunn.

Leicester City: Schmeichel, Simpson, Benalouane, Fuchs, Chilwell, Mahrez, King, Ndidi, Albrighton, Okazaki, Vardy.
Subs: Musa, Amartey, Kapustka, Slimani, Zieler, Gray, Wasilewski.

10.47am BST

Leicester City arrived at the Etihad last February three points clear at the top. They still weren’t being taken totally seriously as title contenders, mind you, which seemed fair enough: there was still a third of the season to go, plenty of time for one of the usual behemoths to usurp them, right? How about Manchester City, in fact? A win would see them leapfrog Leicester on goal difference, plant doubts in their heads, and surely put an end to any daft talk of an unprecedented Premier League fairytale. Surely?

At which point Leicester ran riot. Robert Huth, of all people, scored twice, Riyad Mahrez contributed a solo wonder strike, and the Foxes won 3-1, a scoreline that seriously flattered the hosts. It was a statement of intent which took Leicester six clear, instantly turning them from an unlikely mid-season curiosity into title favourites. Everything felt different. Everything was different. Suddenly, Leicester believed they could do it. Perhaps even more vitally, so did all their opponents. It was on!

Continue reading...

Atlético 2-1 Real Madrid (agg 2-4): Champions League semi-final – as it happened

Real Madrid will play Juventus in the final, though they had to withstand a spirited attempt at a spectacular comeback.

9.06am BST

Related: End of an era for Atlético Madrid as curtain falls on Vicente Calderón

9.05am BST

Related: Real Madrid reach Champions League final despite defeat by Atlético

9.41pm BST

The whistle goes! Real Madrid have reached their 15th European Cup final! They’ll play Juventus in Cardiff, where they’ll have a chance to become the first team to defend the trophy in the Champions League era! They jig and dance in glee. Deservedly so: they were the better team over the two legs. But in many respects tonight is about the vanquished Atletico, who bravely hauled themselves back into this tie. For a while, an astonishing comeback looked to be on. But then Godin, Savic and Gimenez let Benzema slip away, Isco scored a vital away goal, and the tie was as good as over. The rain pelts down, in and around Atletico hearts, but at least they can say they won the last-ever European match at the Vicente Calderon. Which has got to mean something. Right?

9.37pm BST

90 min: A Kroos shot is deflected wide for a corner that leads to nothing. There will be two minutes of added time. Can Atletico hold on, and at least win the last-ever European game at the Vicente Calderon, even if they’re not going to win the tie?

9.35pm BST

89 min: Ronaldo spins and shoots high from the right-hand edge of the Atletico D. Up the other end, Gabi shoots towards the bottom left from 25 yards. It’s smothered by Navas.

9.34pm BST

88 min: It’s tipping down at the Vicente Calderon. Soundtrack by Buddy Holly. Poor Atletico.

9.32pm BST

87 min: Isco exits. Morata comes on.

9.31pm BST

85 min: Correa is booked for a frustrated barge on Ronaldo.

9.29pm BST

84 min: Atletico are slowing up now. The fans aren’t piping down, though. They have been superb all night. Bedlam from start to finish, with any dips momentary and understandable.

9.28pm BST

82 min: Thomas sprays a lovely ball down the right and very nearly releases Gameiro on goal. Real counter, Modric scooping a ball down the right for Ronaldo, who would have been one on one with Oblak were he not clearly offside.

9.27pm BST

81 min: A ball bounces down the middle of the park and into the Real box. Varane and Navas hesitate. Eventually the keeper decides to act, and punches clear just in time, with Gameiro looking to loop a header over him.

9.26pm BST

79 min: Atletico, to their great credit, haven’t given this up at all. Thomas hoicks a searching cross into the Real box from the right, but it’s just too high and forceful for Grizemann.

9.25pm BST

9.24pm BST

77 min: Correa and Gameiro combine to nearly force the ball into the bottom left of Real’s net. Not quite. The visitors break up the other end, Marcelo in acres down the left, Ronaldo free in the middle. The former should feed the latter for a simple finish, but the cross isn’t all that, and Savic is able to head clear.

9.22pm BST

76 min: Changes afoot. For Atletico, Correa comes on for Koke. For Real, Benzema and Casemiro are replaced by Lucas Vazquez and Asensio.

9.21pm BST

75 min: Benzema goes on another manic dribble down the inside-left channel. Despite being surrounded by opponents, he keeps going and very nearly works space to shoot. Thomas eventually dispossesses him, but what escapology skills Benzema has showcased this evening!

9.20pm BST

74 min: Marcelo, deep as you like down the left, whips a peach of a cross to the far post. Benzema meets the ball with a full-length diving header, and it’s not far away from the top right. As it whips the side netting, the Vicente Calderon falls silent, the majority fearing the worst. Though when it’s realised it’s just a goal kick, there’s no great rise in volume. Everyone knows the jig is up.

9.18pm BST

72 min: Casmeiro hangs out a leg and brings down Gameiro, dribbling down the right. A free kick and a chance to load the box, but Godin drags down Danilo and the pressure is off.

9.17pm BST

71 min: Griezmann chases a long bouncer down the inside-left channel, and hits a first-time screamer towards the bottom left. Navas turns it around the post, and the resulting corner comes to naught.

9.16pm BST

69 min: ... Real have a goal unfairly disallowed! Kroos and Modric try to recreate the old Beckham-Scholes corner-volley routine. Modric doesn’t connect properly, from the right of the D. But the ball bounces diagonally to Ronaldo, who feather-shuttles it onwards, into the left-hand side of the net. The flag goes up for offside. Ronaldo claims he didn’t hit the ball. He did, but he was played on by Savic in the middle. It probably won’t matter, but that’s a poor decision.

9.14pm BST

68 min: Marcelo twists and turns down the left, and earns a corner off Thomas. From which...

9.13pm BST

66 min: Atletico need to do something very soon, and they nearly do. Carrasco hipshakes in from the left, diddles Varane, and curls a shot towards the top right. But what a save by Navas! He parries, then turns away a follow-up header by Gameiro, who really should have scored. A corner follows, but nothing comes of it. Oh my. Oh Kevin!

9.11pm BST

65 min: On the touchline, Diego Simeone looks becalmed, bordering on resigned. His team have played marvellously well tonight; such a shame they didn’t turn up at the Bernabeu last week.

9.10pm BST

64 min: Atletico need something soon. Carrasco works wonders down the left and, not for the first time, sends a ball across the face of the Atletico goal that evades his slow-thinking forwards. Carrasco is a gem of a player, like that’s breaking news.

9.09pm BST

63 min: Gabi’s relentless pressing nearly sets up a chance, as he steals the ball off Isco and then hoicks a pass down the middle for Saul Niguez to chase. But Saul Niguez can’t quite get the ball under control, and it bumbles though to Navas, who clears.

9.07pm BST

61 min: Gabi goes in late on Casemiro. He’s already on a booking, and Ramos reminds the referee of the fact. The official’s not to be pushed into unnecessary action, though. It was a clip on the back of the ankle, nothing more. We play on.

9.05pm BST

59 min: Corner for Real out on the right. Atletico half clear. Modric thinks about a shot from 20 yards, but is knocked off the ball. The reigning European champions are totally on top now. The home support are gamely still making noise, regardless.

9.04pm BST

58 min: Marcelo slips into space down the left, reaches the byline and cuts one back for Ronaldo, on the left-hand corner of the six-yard box. Ronaldo shapes like his manager in the 2002 final against Bayer Leverkusen, but hooks his first-time shot wide left of the goal.

9.02pm BST

57 min: A double change by Atletico: Torres and Gimenez off, Gameiro and Thomas on.

9.02pm BST

55 min: Danilo sashays inside from the right. He lays off to Isco, who should play Marcelo free down the left - think Pele and Carlos Alberto in reverse - but opts to shoot for the bottom right instead. Bad decision; he drags a miserable effort low and wide right.

9.00pm BST

53 min: Griezmann, out on the left, creams a gorgeous diagonal pass towards Carrasco, romping down the right. Carrasco chests down and enters the Real box, but the ball takes a flyer out of play. Had he cushioned that better, he was clear past Marcelo.

8.58pm BST

52 min: Casemiro spins neatly into space down the middle, lovely feet. He slips the ball wide to Marcelo, who has Isco with him; Real are two on one down the flank. But Marcelo dallies and dithers, and a chance to carve Atletico open is gone.

8.56pm BST

50 min: Filipe Luis crosses deep from the left. Ramos heads clear. Gimenez bombs down the inside-right channel looking to blooter the ball goalwards. Isco checks him in cynical style. Free kick. Griezmann looks to curl one into the top right from 25 yards, but it’s a tad too high.

8.54pm BST

48 min: Ronaldo whipcracks a blistering shot straight at goal, never mind the tight angle. The ball makes its way through a thicket of players, forcing Oblak to punch clear off his line. Very close to the perfect start to the half for Real. Another goal would make a hell of a task surely impossible for Atletico.

8.53pm BST

47 min: Kroos hooks the corner into the mixer. Ronaldo, ten yards out, should connect with a header but uncharacteristically mistimes his jump. Atletico clear, but Real are coming back at the hosts yet again through Kroos. Griezmann checks him to the floor, and this is a free kick in a very dangerous position, just to the left of the Atletico box.

8.51pm BST

And we’re back! Atletico get the ball rolling for the second half. Neither side has made any changes. Ronaldo is quickly scooting down the left wing, and his low cross looks for Griezmann inside. Godin knocks it clear. But Benzema comes again down the same wing, and that leads to the first corner of the half.

8.36pm BST

Wow. Where did that time go? Pity poor Atletico, who had hauled themselves back into contention with a start of the most glorious intensity. But Real aren’t the European champions for nowt, and they worked their way back into the game, plundering a vital away goal that has in all probability decided this tie. Still, another early Atletico one-two in the second half, and you never know. Put it this way: you’re not going anywhere, are you?

8.33pm BST

45 min: Torres and Ronaldo exchange words. The scoreline allows Ronaldo to smile in the passive-aggressive fashion. Torres is simply aggressive. There’s a fair chance this will boil over in the second half. Or in the two extra first-half minutes added by the referee, you never know.

8.31pm BST

44 min: That indeed has sucked the atmosphere out of the Vicente Calderon. Torres goes chasing a long ball. Navas comes out to kick clear. The pair clatter into each other, nobody giving an inch. Ooyah, oof.

8.30pm BST

Atletico now need a third, fourth and fifth to win. Benzema is by the left-hand corner flag, surrounded by three opponents. But he escapes! He slips the ball along the byline, a fine tightrope act, then pulls it back for Kroos, belting into the box down the inside-left channel. He shoots low towards the bottom left. Oblak parries brilliantly, but the ball sits up for Isco, who clips it calmly into the corner past the prone keeper. In one fell swoop, Real are back in total control of this tie!

8.27pm BST

40 min: Kroos bursts down the left and stands one up for Ronaldo, who was winding his neck back to power one goalwards. Savic eyebrows one away at the last. That was close. A reminder that should Real score, Atletico would suddenly need a third, fourth and fifth to win.

8.25pm BST

38 min: Isco dances down the left and cuts into the Atletico box. He sends a squirming shot towards the bottom left. Oblak gets down to smother. Next goal wins? Next goal may well win.

8.24pm BST

37 min: Isco bowls Griezmann to the floor in the midfield. It’s rough enough to be a booking, but the yellow’s not forthcoming. It is, however, showed to Atletico captain Gabi, for complaining about the non-decision. For a second, it looked like Gabi was ready to plant one on the ref, so livid was he. Godin steps in to calm his team-mate down, in relative terms anyway.

8.23pm BST

36 min: Griezmann tears down the right after a long pass. He flicks it cleverly inside for the brilliant Carrasco, who very nearly makes it into the area but has the ball cleverly nicked off his toe by Modric.

8.21pm BST

34 min: Godin is indeed booked for his over-zealous charge on Ronaldo. But so is Ramos, for giving it the big one during the “discussions”. This is wonderful entertainment in so many different ways.

8.20pm BST

33 min: Ronaldo goes down in dramatic style, rubbing his noggin having been clattered unceremoniously from behind by Godin. Real surround the referee demanding punishment.

8.18pm BST

31 min: It’s proper scrappy now. But scrappy in a very classy way. Kroos lays off and watches in horror as Gabi makes off with the ball; Griezmann is hustled out of it as he attempts to battle down the middle; Ronaldo tries to dribble down the right but miscontrols. Top-drawer nonsense.

8.16pm BST

29 min: The lull continues, Atletico perhaps suddenly realising they’ve got something to lose now. All very cagey.

8.14pm BST

27 min: Atletico respond with a little bit of possession of their own. For the first time in the match, the pace has dropped a little. In fairness, how could they have kept it up?

8.13pm BST

25 min: But Real aren’t European champions for nothing, and even with their heads swimming, they’re able to hog the ball in an attempt to build something in attack. Eventually Saul Niguez gets fed up with Real’s possession-based stylings, and clatters Isco to the floor. Ronaldo attempts to batter the free kick from distance; nope.

8.10pm BST

23 min: Godin slides in extremely hard, but extremely fairly, on Modric. He offers Modric a hand to get up. Modric performs a textbook hissy fit, and refuses it. Real are rattled.

8.09pm BST

22 min: Atletico ping it around the middle for a while, in order to take some of the sting out of the game. Real had come back at them hard after conceding the second. Simeone’s advice was heeded, it seems.

8.07pm BST

20 min: Kroos from the right this time. Ramos rises and heads harmlessly over the bar. On the touchline, Diego Simeone performs the internationally recognised mime for calm down and use your head. This situation is surely beyond Atletico’s wildest dreams, so it’s good advice. A long time left to get that third.

8.05pm BST

19 min: Marcelo tries to cross deep from the left. He earns a corner via a deflection. Kroos hits it deep. Casemiro comes in from the right and forces another corner, this time from the right.

8.04pm BST

18 min: Again, Real come straight back at Atletico after conceding. Isco discos down the left and earns a corner. But Torres gets his head on the set piece and the danger is gone.

8.03pm BST

Griezmann steps up. It’s not a good penalty kick, just to the right of Navas and not particularly high or hard. Navas even gets a hand to it, but he can’t stop the ball drifting into the right-hand side of the net. Not exactly textbook, but who in red and white cares?! This is an outstanding start by Simeone’s men, and this semi-final is in the balance now!

8.02pm BST

15 min: Oh my goodness! Carrasco slips a pass down the inside-right channel. Torres strides into the box, then falls over Varane’s outstretched leg. The referee points to the spot! Atletico haven’t clocked the official’s decision, and moan awhile. They soon pipe down as all becomes clear.

8.00pm BST

13 min: Of course, an away goal for Real would suck the air out of the stadium in double-quick time. Isco very nearly sends Ronaldo skittering clear down the inside-right in a brisk counter-attack, but Godin positions himself well to intercept.

7.59pm BST

Carrasco shoots from distance. His effort is deflected out for a corner on the right. The set piece is fired hard towards the near post. Saul Niguez rises high and powers an unstoppable header into the top right! The Vicente Calderon erupts, and well, well, well!

7.57pm BST

11 min: Good work down the left earns Atletico a corner, but the set piece is lifted harmlessly into the arms of Navas. This is a brisk start by the home side, who are making half-chances.

7.57pm BST

10 min: Carrasco fires a wonderful ball through the Real box from the right, but neither Griemann nor Torres are on the front foot. Real got away with that, because it was a killer cross.

7.56pm BST

9 min: Koke lifts a pass down the inside-left channel for Torres, who tries to control but is overpowered by Ramos just inside the Real area. The home fans claim a penalty kick, but nobody in red and white makes much of a noise.

7.54pm BST

7 min: Now Savic is booked for knocking Isco to the floor out on the Real right. The set piece is sent in to Casemiro, who sends a header towards the bottom right from 12 yards. Oblak, at full stretch, parries clear. Both keepers have now made a fine save. Atletico go straight up the other end, Carrasco dribbling in from the right and causing Real some mild panic. He’s swarmed by black shirts and falls over, claiming a touch from Casemiro behind him. No penalty. There didn’t seem much in it. This is great fun!

7.52pm BST

5 min: Carrasco spins down the right, past Marcelo, and reaches the byline, whipping a cross towards Koke at the near post. Navas turns it out for a corner. Torres meets the set piece, six yards out, but heads straight down, the ball ballooning up and over the bar. Harmless.

7.51pm BST

4 min: A yellow card for Danilo, who miscontrols a pass out on the Real left and plants a high boot on Filipe Luis’s face in an attempt to reclaim the ball. He doesn’t complain about his punishment, it’s a fair cop.

7.49pm BST

2 min: Isco and Ronaldo exchange passes down the inside-right channel. Ronaldo sends a dribbler towards the bottom left. Oblak carefully plucks the ball off the turf. This promises to be joyously hectic.

7.48pm BST

And we’re off! Real, 3-0 up after the first leg, get the ball rolling for the second. Bedlam inside this famous old ground. Danilo is ushered into touch within seven seconds, and that’s cheered like a goal. Within 20 seconds, Torres and Ramos go up for a high ball, the former sending the latter crashing to the floor. Ramos rolls around quite a lot, but there was nothing in that. A lot of whistling. Within one minute and five seconds, Griezmann sends a long speculative effort whistling over the crossbar. Some start! Another 89 minutes of this and we’ll be doing well!

7.44pm BST

The teams are out! Atletico are in their famous red and white striped shirts, with cobalt blue strides. Real Madrid wear their third-choice black number. Johnny Nice Painter would approve. The home fans unfurl a huge banner: DE NO SER COMO VOSOTROS. Not to be like you. A singular club, all right. Some atmosphere in the Vicente Calderon all right. We’ll be off in a minute!

7.36pm BST

Zinedine Zidane speaks! “We’re going to play our game and get goals, as we always do. We have beaten them in some big matches, but that’s in the past. We mustn’t think about such things. It’s a different game now.”

7.35pm BST

Diego Simeone speaks! “We’re going to be up against a very good side, and we’ll have to be focused, defend well and do well going forward, all of which you need in the Champions League semi-finals. We’re motivated and excited about facing a very strong team that we know will give us a really good game. We haven’t eaten in four days, so just imagine how hungry we are!” At which point he spins away in high amusement.

7.21pm BST

Some pre-match reading. The Fiver’s been going for the best part of 20 years now - I know - but to be fair we’ve been pretty good at maintaining standards. It’s as unfunny as it ever was. Today’s edition saw tonight’s match projected through the prism of miserablism, on account of it not being 1980 any more. Enjoy, enjoy!

Related: The Fiver | Hankering after the golden age of Östers Idrottsförening

7.03pm BST

Atletico make two changes from the starting XI torn apart at the Bernabeu. Lucas Hernandez and Kevin Gameiro drop to the bench, allowing Jose Maria Gimenez and Fernando Torres to take their places.

Real make just the one swap from last week. Dani Carvajal is hamstrung, so in steps his replacement Danilo.

6.59pm BST

Atletico: Oblak, Gimenez, Savic, Godin, Filipe Luis, Koke, Gabi, Saul Niguez, Carrasco, Griezmann, Torres.
Subs: Moya, Tiago, Correa, Lucas Hernandez, Gameiro, Thomas, Gaitan.

Real: Navas, Danilo, Varane, Ramos, Marcelo, Casemiro, Modric, Isco, Kroos, Bemzema, Ronaldo.
Subs: Casilla, Nacho, Rodriguez, Kovacic, Vazquez, Asensio, Morata.

10.40am BST

Would you ever say a Diego Simeone team has no chance whatsoever? Well, you wouldn’t say it to the man’s face, that’s for sure. And never say never in the European Cup, which has had its share of famous comebacks over the years. But let’s be realistic. Simeone’s Atlético Madrid are three goals adrift in this tie, thanks to Real Madrid force of nature Cristiano Ronaldo’s hat-trick in the first leg at the Bernabeu. Nobody has ever overturned even a two-goal first-leg defeat in the Champions League semis. If Atlético manage this, it’ll be Deportivo-Milan, the miracle of Istanbul and Barca-PSG rolled into one. God speed, Atleti!

But what’s the point of professional sport if you’re not allowed to dream? This will be the last-ever European tie at the Vicente Calderón, Atlético’s home since 1966 and due to be pulled down in the summer. If they did it, if they somehow managed to pull it off, it’d be some fairytale ending, huh? It may be the case that Atlético have only once in the last four decades beaten Real at home by three clear goals, but it happened just two years ago, a 4-0 victory in La Liga. An early goal tonight, and you never know. Well, we probably do know, but what’s the point of professional sport if you’re not allowed to dream?

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The Fiver | Hankering after the golden age of Östers Idrottsförening

In today’s Fiver: Madrid, Fifa’s ethics-first era and betting on The Fiver

Nobody has retained Big Cup since Milan in 1990. This state of affairs is usually held up as evidence of how much harder it is to win Europe’s premier pot in the modern era. After all, you couldn’t triumph these days simply by beating Östers Idrottsförening, Argeș Pitești, Berliner Dynamo, a declining Ajax and a Hamburg side whose star striker was dreaming of his big-money move to Southampton, as Nottingham Forest did when they kept hold of old big ears in 1980. Mind you, to be scrupulously fair, Forest only had the opportunity to do that by winning a 42-game league in the first place, then their first Big Cup, all the while knowing that one slip would bring an abrupt and terminal halt to their almost-certainly-never-to-be-repeated adventure, as opposed to swanning around in the knowledge that whatever happens you’ll be guaranteed another go next year, and the one after that, and the one after that. But no, it was apparently a doddle in the old days. There’s no talking to some people, so let’s just go with that.

Related: Dani Alves fires Juventus past Monaco into Champions League final

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Swansea City 1-0 Everton: Premier League – as it happened

It was tight, it was tense, but Swansea end the day happy, leaping out of the relegation zone thanks to Fernando Llorente’s first-half header.

7.49pm BST

Related: Fernando Llorente strikes against Everton to get Swansea out of drop zone

7.21pm BST

And that’s that! Swansea have survived Everton’s late onslaught! They take all three precious points! On the touchline, Paul Clement shakes Ronald Koeman’s hand and then blows his cheeks out hard. That was tense! But the Swans are now out of the relegation zone! They’re a point above Hull City, with a superior goal difference to boot. Next up: Sunderland away, then West Brom at home on the final day. Their fate is in their own hands again. The roof of the Liberty Stadium was last spotted coptering over Cardiff.

7.19pm BST

90 min +2: A minute of midfield faff. Swansea will take this as well!

7.18pm BST

90 min +1: Baines fouls Ayew cheaply in the midfield. Swansea will take that!

7.18pm BST

90 min: Valencia heads Baines’ corner over the bar. Huge relief. The home fans with their hymns and arias again. There will be three added minutes.

7.17pm BST

89 min: Kenny chases after a loose ball down the right. He hooks it into the centre, Mawson hacking it out for a corner. A suggestion that might have gone out of play before Kenny crossed. The corner leads to another. Then Lukaku finds a gap down the left, and hammers a low shot into the middle. Mawson again is on hand to hack away. Lukaku tries again, and this time sees his effort deflected out for a corner. From which...

7.15pm BST

88 min: The goalscorer Llorente is replaced by Borja.

7.14pm BST

86 min: A free kick for Everton out on the left. Barkley whips it into the Swansea box. Mirallas heads it on. Williams, coming in from the right, very nearly connects. But the ball evades him and flies out of play to the right of goal. Williams might have been offside had he met that and scored, but it would have been close. Wow. Swansea are really living on their nerves now.

7.12pm BST

84 min: Llorente and Williams come together under a high ball. It’s a garden-variety tussle, but for some reason Williams loses the head completely and throws Llorente to the ground. The striker gets up and does the Why?! mime. Williams thinks about escalating the situation. The referee steps in. Very strange, because this match has been played in good spirit, despite the tension.

7.11pm BST

83 min: Kenny, out on the right, nearly finds Lukaku in the centre with a peach of a cross. Not quite. The young right-back tries again. This time Mawson hacks clear. It’s attack versus defence, though. Davies makes good down the right and hoicks one inside. Fer heads upfield, but Baines latches onto the clearance, takes a touch and shoots. The shot flies over the bar.

7.09pm BST

82 min: Baines and Valencia combine well down the left at high pace. But they’re swarmed by white shirts, and somehow neither can get a cross into the box.

7.07pm BST

80 min: Lukaku spins past Olsson down the right, latching onto a Barkley pass. He cuts inside and from the right-hand edge of the D smashes an unstoppable shot ... into the side netting. Had that been on target, Fabianski would have had no chance, so sweetly was it struck. But Swansea survive. Hearts in mouths there, though, with the home side so close to three precious points in their fight to avoid the drop.

7.05pm BST

78 min: Jonjoe Kenny comes on for Mason Holgate.

7.05pm BST

77 min: Sigurdsson slides a pass down the left for Carroll, who finds Fer at the left-hand corner of the six-yard box with a glorious low cross. Fer opens his body up and lets fly with a sidefoot. Stekelenburg somehow manages to parry it. The ball clanks back off Williams and out of play for a corner, which isn’t much of an event. But once again Swansea come so close to a two-goal cushion!

7.02pm BST

75 min: Ki off, Fer on. A pocket-sized MBM entry.

7.01pm BST

74 min: Sigurdsson curls a cross into the Everton box from the left. It momentarily threatens danger, but neither Llorente nor Ayew can get near it, and Mirallas mops up on the right wing.

7.00pm BST

73 min: Cork comes on for Britton. Swansea can see the finishing line now, and the tension crackles accordingly.

6.59pm BST

71 min: Williams launches long. Lukaku brings the ball down and sends it wide right for Holgate, who earns a corner. Llorente heads it clear at the near post. But the ball’s dispatched back into the area by Davies on the right. Mirallas has it at his feet, eight yards out! He must score, but Sigurdsson somehow manages to block it, and Swansea hack clear. How on earth did that not lead to an equaliser?

6.55pm BST

69 min: Corner for Swansea down the right, courtesy of Sigurdsson and Llorente. It’s whipped into the middle. Fernandez meets it, and the ball’s surely whistling into the top right. But it hits the unwitting Barkley and loops over the bar. Another corner! And this one’s met by Llorente, who powers a fine effort towards the left-hand side of the goal. Stekelenburg drops to claim it well.

6.54pm BST

67 min: Valencia and Davies combine down the inside-right channel and the ball’s fed to Lukaku, who turns and bashes a low shot straight down the throat of Fabianski. Swansea are sitting deep, inviting bother. Meanwhile it must be the interval at the Old Vic, because here’s Gary Naylor: “Trolled by a Millings and Murray double act! Who needs David Thomas and Bob Latchford? My life is complete.”

6.51pm BST

65 min: Enner Valencia comes on for Gareth Barry.

6.51pm BST

64 min: Barkley finds space down the right. The ball’s swung into the centre, where Mirallas and Davies confuse each other. Swansea are living dangerously, the nerves fraying. They can’t keep on like this.

6.50pm BST

62 min: It turns a bit scrappy. These things happen.

6.48pm BST

60 min: Davies wins the ball off Ki in the centre circle, then sends Mirallas away on a right-to-left meander that nearly ends in a shooting chance on the edge of the Swansea box. The winger’s crowded out of it, though, and can’t get anything away. Everton are first to pretty much everything right now.

6.46pm BST

58 min: Naughton launches long for Llorente down the inside right. Llorente nearly wins a towering header on the edge of the box, but Williams does enough. Right now, Swansea are struggling to hold the ball up in the final third, more often than not. Everton are on top, a state of affairs that’s emphasised when Lukaku once again causes merry hell down the right wing, but can’t quite find a team-mate in the centre.

6.44pm BST

56 min: And this was nearly 1-1, as Lukaku sashays down the right and whips a low ball straight through the Swansea area. The ball somehow evades both Davies and Mirallas, and flies out of play to the left of the goal. Any touch and that was surely in. Speaking of touches, just before that move Britton slid in very hard on Gueye, and was very fortunate to escape a booking.

6.42pm BST

54 min: It’s hit deep towards Llorente. Barry clears. Swansea recycle possession down the right. Llorente cuts in from the wing and lashes a shot which turns into a cross. The ball hits Mawson, still up from the corner, and drops to Ayew on the penalty spot. Ayew, leaning back slightly, swings a leg and scuffs a shot onto the outside of the right-hand post and away. Stekelenburg was rooted to the spot, so had Ayew connected properly, that was 2-0.

6.40pm BST

53 min: Lukaku very nearly finds Barkley in acres of space down the inside-right channel, but the pass is overcooked. Everton have looked a different team since the restart. But Swansea finally show a bit up front, Ayew powering up the right and earning a corner. From which...

6.39pm BST

51 min: Britton bowls Davies to the ground as the young Everton midfielder twists up and down the inside-left channel. A free kick, and a chance for Barkley to swing it into the mixer. Swansea allow it to bounce near the back stick. Barry hooks it back in. Jagielka nearly plants a meaningful head on the ball, six yards from goal, but eventually it’s cleared.

6.36pm BST

49 min: Swansea are struggling to get a hold of the ball. They’ll recall how the first half started like this, too.

6.35pm BST

47 min: The half begins with a period of sterile Everton possession. The tension around the Liberty is palpable.

6.34pm BST

And we’re off again! Ross Barkley replaces Dominic Calvert-Lewin. His team-mates get the ball rolling. And in lieu of action, here’s Mac Millings to fill a space: “If I’ve done the maths right (and let’s be honest here), the mighty Hornets’ 3-0 reversal at the home of the Champions makes them one goal better than Manchester City, and as such, puts them in the driving seat for a Champions League spot for the first time in their illustrious history - finally making up for the 1984 Cup Final heartbreak, when, to quote Gary Naylor himself: ‘Cheating Andy Gray unfairly headed the ball out of Steve Sherwood’s innocent hands, thus delivering the trophy to an utterly undeserving (and highly overrated) journeyman Everton side.’ But I’m over it.” Hopefully Naylor’s at the theatre and/or can’t be bothered to respond.

6.17pm BST

Time for a quick Swansea corner on the left. Sigurdsson loops deep, and Ki heads harmlessly wide to the right. And that’s that for the first half. As things stand, Swansea are out of the relegation zone, leapfrogging Hull City! But before they can contemplate that, a long 45 minutes stretches out in front of them. It could be a thrilling second half. Don’t go anywhere!

6.15pm BST

45 min: Davies tries to spin his way clear down the right and into the Swansea box. He’s diddled by clever Sigurdsson, who steps in front of him and falls to the ground under the slightest challenge, buying a cheap free kick. The pressure is off.

6.14pm BST

43 min: Williams sprays a simple pass into the stand down the right. The home fans enjoyed that. It wasn’t out-and-out abuse, just a wee bit of fun. He might have copped a bit of flak from his team-mates a couple of seconds later, though, had the hospital pass he sent towards Gueye been snaffled by Ki. The Swansea midfielder was inches away from intercepting and starting a two-on-one counter with Llorente.

6.11pm BST

41 min: Something of a lull.

6.10pm BST

39 min: Jagielka tries to usher the ball out down the Swansea left for a goal kick. Ayew snaffles it on the line. He feeds Olsson, who shoots from an ambitiously tight angle. The shot’s defected out for a corner, which isn’t up to much. This is a highly entertaining match now, with both teams showing menace in attack.

6.08pm BST

37 min: Baines whips a cross in from a deep position on the left. He nearly finds Lukaku in a shooting position on the left-hand corner of the six-yard area. Not quite, but Lukaku is able to swivel and turn the ball back into the centre of the box. Hopefully someone will run onto it for Everton? Nope! Gueye nearly manages it, but the ball somehow evades him.

6.06pm BST

36 min: Everton try coming back at Swansea. Twice in a minute Holgate tries to release Lukaku down the inside-right channel with a killer pass; twice Mawson is on the spot to clear.

6.05pm BST

35 min: This is all Swansea now. Sigurdsson lumps a free kick into the Everton area from deep. Stekelenburg comes out to claim, with bedlam going on all around him.

6.04pm BST

33 min: More room for Ayew out on the right. He tries to curl a cross into the area, but it’s blocked by Baines at the expense of a corner. Sigurdsson takes. It’s only half cleared. Naughton crosses from the right. The ball gets all the way to Mawson, six yards out, level with the left-hand post. He must score! He shoots, but Holgate sticks out a leg to deflect away for a corner on the left. That set piece is a non-event by comparison. Swansea so very close to doubling their lead. I’m not sure you can even blame Mawson for that miss, it was just brilliant last-ditch defending.

6.01pm BST

31 min: Swansea want more. A free kick’s earned down the left. They load the box, and Sigurdsson stands over the set piece. He curls one towards the far post. Stekelenburg comes off his line and punches clear with confidence.

6.00pm BST

Naughton cuts inside from the right and feeds Sigurdsson in the box. Sigurdsson looks to turn Barry and is clumsily checked by Barry. Penalty? It’s not given. But no matter! Because Swansea come straight back at Everton through Ayew down the right. He reaches the byline and digs out a stunning cross, up and down towards Llorente at the far post. Llorente rises above Jagielka, and plonks the ball into the bottom left!

5.58pm BST

27 min: A brief break as some bampot rushes the pitch and tries to get a hug off Lukaku. Who wouldn’t want a cuddle off the big man? But there’s a time and a place.

5.57pm BST

26 min: Sigurdsson floats a harmless ball into the Everton box. Danger over.

5.56pm BST

25 min: Gueye cuts in from the left and clanks his pass inside into the legs of referee Martin Atkinson. That allows Ayew to scamper forward at some pace down the middle of the park. Davies, tracking back in panic, is forced to nudge him over. That might have been a booking, but the referee, perhaps a little embarrassed at being such a high-profile part of the Swansea break, cuts the Everton man some slack. Fair enough. A free kick 35 yards from goal, and a chance for Swansea to load the box.

5.54pm BST

23 min: Ki sprays a delicious pass wide right for Naughton, who is bombing up the wing in the progressive style. He’s checked unceremoniously, but fairly, by the backtracking Calvert-Lewin. A nice whiff of Total Football about all that, everyone swapping positions.

5.52pm BST

22 min: Sigurdsson is very nearly sent away down the right by a clever Naughton flick, but with Llorente and Ayew making menacing runs ahead, the ball runs out of play. The Icelandic international sucks his teeth in frustration.

5.51pm BST

20 min: Davies shimmies in from the left. He considers shuttling it wide right to Mirallas, but instead checks, turns and flicks a pass down the left channel for Calvert-Lewin, who immediately shuttles it further forward for Lukaku. It’s a lovely move, clever and intricate, but Lukaku’s touch just inside the box lets him down and Mawson is able to clear.

5.49pm BST

18 min: Ayew clears. The very promising Davies picks the ball up deep and wedges a pass down the inside-left channel in the hope of releasing Calvert-Lewin into the area. There’s just a little too much on the pass, which floats out of play for a goal kick.

5.47pm BST

17 min: Mirallas is given a little too much time 30 yards from the Swansea goal. He turns and batters a low shot which is deflected out to the right. Corner. From which...

5.46pm BST

15 min: Carroll is sent into space down the left by a clever scooped pass from Britton. But instead of whipping a first-time cross into the middle, he lets the ball bounce once too often and Holgate takes control of the situation, ushering man and ball out of play for a goal kick. Swansea are in this game now, though, after those quiet opening minutes during which they let Everton dominate.

5.43pm BST

13 min: Naughton flings a long throw into the Everton box from the right. Llorente flicks it on, and the ball very nearly drops for Ayew. But not quite. Olsson, on the edge of the box, can’t quite decide whether to pile forward in the hope of latching onto a loose, bouncing ball. He who hesitates is lost. Everton clear.

5.41pm BST

11 min: Mirallas, in the centre circle, has an opportunity to send Calvert-Lewin scampering down the inside-left channel, with Swansea very light at the back. But he shanks his crossfield pass straight out of play. It’s not quite sparked into life yet, this match. Plenty of time.

5.40pm BST

9 min: ... not much. Mawson can’t get his head to the set piece. Carroll tries to recycle the ball out on the left, but can’t find anyone with his cross. Ki tries to slip Llorente into the box with a ball down the inside-left channel, but the pass doesn’t stick. But at least Swansea have finally shown in attack.

5.39pm BST

8 min: Sigurdsson has been shadowed by Barry since the get-go. He finally escapes his marker and slips a pass down the right for Ayew, who earns a corner. From which...

5.37pm BST

6 min: Olsson, with a bit of space and time down the left, has a chance to release Carroll into Everton territory along the wing, but he pushes his pass forward out of play. That was a simple enough ball, and it’s perhaps betrayed a few Swansea nerves.

5.35pm BST

5 min: Holgate, deep on the right, curls one forward and nearly releases Davies down the channel. Mawson is across quickly to intercept and clear. It’s the away team hogging the ball right now. Swansea are struggling to get hold of it, and keep it when they do.

5.34pm BST

3 min: More space for Everton down the left, as a result of Mirallas’s prompting. Baines loops a cross straight through the Swansea box, way over Lukaku’s head. But Everton’s early positivity has quietened the stadium down a little. First job done.

5.32pm BST

2 min: Swansea knock it around the back awhile, very patiently, in the style of 1970s Liverpool. The influence of John Toshack lives on. A chance for everyone to find their feet.

5.31pm BST

And we’re off! Swansea get the ball rolling. Ashley Williams returns to south Wales for the first time since his big-money move to Goodison. The home fans singing their hymns and arias. Everton are quickly on the front foot, Mirallas making ground down the left. He lays off for Barry who crosses for Lukaku to head harmlessly towards Fabianski. A bright start from the visitors.

5.28pm BST

The teams are out! One hell of an atmosphere at the Liberty Stadium; the home fans clearly know what they have to do. Swansea are in their crisp and classic all-white strip. Everton have perhaps needlessly changed into their dark-blue second kit, so no run-out for their famous royal blue, but they look very smart nonetheless. We’ll be off in a minute!

5.15pm BST

Ronald Koeman also speaks, and aims a shot across the bows of Ross Barkley. “We have a small chance to catch Arsenal in sixth. It is possible if we win this game. We will be playing against a diamond, and always I like to control the game, so that’s the reason Gareth Barry is in. Ross Barkley is on the bench. We need more productivity from the midfielders and the strikers, so that’s the position of Kevin Mirallas.”

5.10pm BST

Paul Clement speaks in the wake of Hull City’s defeat. “We spoke about the implications of whatever kind of result came in from Hull. Whether they won, drew or lost, it was still important that we won, so that’s the mentality we will use today, and in the next game against Sunderland, and the last game against West Brom. Take care of our business, and if we do that, especially now, we’ll be in a very good position. What I’m most pleased about going into this game is that, having won all three points against Stoke, we followed that up with a very good performance against Manchester United. We know our form is good. Stephen Kingsley did very well in our last two games, but Martin Olsson offers a little more offensively and as we’re playing at home that’s why he’s in the team.”

4.57pm BST

A huge boost for Swansea ahead of this game! Already-relegated Sunderland have won 2-0 at Hull City; bang goes Tigers manager Marco Silva’s long unbeaten home run, a sequence stretching all the way back to March 2014 when his Estoril side hosted, and were defeated by, Rio Ave in Portugal’s Primera Liga. What a time to lose that proud record! Hull are in serious bother now. Swansea can leapfrog them tonight if they beat Everton, escaping the relegation zone in the process, and shoving Hull back into it. Swansea will be a point and at least five goals better off if they manage it. Rob Smyth, wearing his Clocko hat, has all the latest.

Related: Hull v Sunderland, Leicester v Watford and more: clockwatch – live!

4.41pm BST

The Swans make one change to the XI sent out at Old Trafford last weekend ahead of that very creditable 1-1 draw with Manchester United. Martin Olsson steps up in place of Stephen Kingsley.

The Toffees make two changes to the starting line-up named for the 3-0 home defeat to Chelsea last Sunday. Gareth Barry and Kevin Mirallas are in; Enner Valencia and Ross Barkley drop to the bench.

4.32pm BST

Swansea City: Fabianski, Naughton, Fernandez, Mawson, Olsson, Ki, Britton, Carroll, Sigurdsson, Ayew, Llorente.
Subs: Amat, Fer, Borja Baston, Nordfeldt, Cork, Narsingh, Kingsley.

Everton: Stekelenburg, Holgate, Jagielka, A Williams, Baines, Gana, Barry, Davies, Calvert-Lewin, Lukaku, Mirallas.
Subs: Robles, Barkley, Valencia, Lookman, Pennington, Kenny, J Williams.

10.42am BST

Swansea City looked down and out. Their honeymoon under Paul Clement appeared to be well and truly over. The brief revival they’d staged under the new manager had skittered to a halt, as they embarked on a six-match streak composing five losses and a 0-0 draw with Middlesbrough. A 0-0 draw with Middlesbrough. The dying Swans. But all of a sudden, renewed hope! A solid 2-0 win over Stoke was followed by an impressive point at Manchester United, and the revival was revived. Swansea looked down and out all right. But now the great escape is back on!

It’s still touch and go, and they desperately need to win here this evening. Three points are essential for survival, and they’ll be forgiven for thinking Everton may oblige. That’s because recent results between the two sides are very much in their favour: Swansea are unbeaten in six, having won at Goodison Park last January then come within a minute of another deserved victory at the Grand Old Lady in November.

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Manchester City 5-0 Crystal Palace: Premier League – as it happened

City sparkled as they thrashed sorry Palace, taking a step closer to Champions League qualification.

2.23pm BST

And that’s that! City were rampant pretty much from the get-go. They should have scored more than one in a dominant first-half display; they certainly made up for that in the second period. They go into third, four goals better off than Liverpool, who have been nudged down to fourth. Champions League football next season is now within touching distance. As for Palace, safety is not yet guaranteed. Wins for Hull and Swansea later on would seriously turn up the pressure; the game between Palace and Hull at Selhurst next week now looms large. The business end of the season promises to be very interesting indeed; City have found some sparkling form at just the right time!

Related: David Silva kickstarts Manchester City’s rout of Crystal Palace

2.21pm BST

Sterling turns on the jets and very nearly tears clear down the left. He’s clipped by Delaney and tries to stay up, but can’t keep his balance and the defender is booked. De Bruyne curls the free kick in from the wing. Otamendi, bombing in from the right, meets the ball on the penalty spot and powers a header into the top left. This is now officially a rout.

2.19pm BST

90 min +1: The corner’s swung in. Otamendi heads over. The whistle goes anyway for a bit of shoving.

2.19pm BST

90 min: Clichy wins another City corner down the right. There will be three added minutes. De Bruyne trots over to take the set piece.

2.18pm BST

89 min: The excellent Zaha drives down the right and is clipped by a tiring Sterling. From the free kick, Zaha makes off down the wing and whistles a wonderful ball across the face of the six-yard box. There’s nobody there in yellow to convert. The cross deserved better. McArthur tries to revive the move with a dribble down the left, but he runs the ball out of play.

2.16pm BST

88 min: Sterling races with great determination down the left, earning a corner off Puncheon. De Bruyne takes. Delaney blasts clear. Everyone watching the clock now, for differing reasons.

2.15pm BST

86 min: Lee and Flamini combine well down the right, but the latter’s cross is scooped away by Otamendi. Palace, to their credit, have never stopped trying; they’ve just been outclassed by a City side determined to close in on a Champions League place.

2.13pm BST

84 min: The bulk of the work done, City make a double switch, Sane and Jesus making way for Iheanacho and Navas.

2.12pm BST

83 min: Jesus makes off down the left and sends a low cross into the Palace area. Bedlam. Sterling nearly converts at the far post. The ball squirts towards De Bruyne, who misses the target. City are running rampant.

2.11pm BST

This is simple but pretty to watch and so sweet. Toure, down the left, swings a ball deep to Zabaleta, near the byline to the right of the Palace goal. Zabaleta heads backwards and down, and Sterling meets the dropping ball crisply, sending a glorious first-time shot into the bottom right! City have been magnificent today. The only question is how they’ve only scored four!

2.09pm BST

81 min: Zabaleta has time and space to consider his options down the right. He eventually drops a shoulder and smashes a low shot towards the bottom right, but Hennessey is able to deal with it.

2.08pm BST

80 min: Ward is down receiving treatment having taken an accidental smack in the coupon. He’ll be fine, but he needs to change his shirt as he’s been leaking blood from the nose, and has a couple of clumps of cotton wool sticking out of his nostrils.

2.07pm BST

78 min: There’s a sense that both clubs would be happy to hear the final whistle now. An almost total lack of urgency, and it’s jiggered the atmosphere a bit. Strange, because City have a chance to further boost their goal difference here; it’s tight in the chase for a top-four place, and you never know, goals could be crucial when it all comes down.

2.04pm BST

76 min: Delaney comes on for Kelly.

2.02pm BST

74 min: City pass it around in the pretty style for a few minutes. First Zabaleta tries to find Sterling on the penalty spot from the right. Not quite. Then Fernandinho curls one in from a deep position on the same wing. Sane, coming in from the left, meets it first time and attempts to guide it into the bottom right. Nice idea, but poor execution, as the ball flies miles wide right.

2.00pm BST

72 min: A couple of corners follow. Some head tennis. We move on.

2.00pm BST

71 min: Benteke, Zaha and McArthur shimmy and flick their way down the middle of the park. Zaha, to the right of the D, tries to find McArthur free on the penalty spot. McArthur slips at the crucial moment, but the ball breaks back to Flamini, who sends a looping, deflected shot goalwards. Caballero, backtracking furiously, is forced to tip over.

1.57pm BST

69 min: Corner for Palace down the left, their first of the match. Lee whips it towards Benteke, but Zabaleta heads clear with Benteke and Kelly lurking.

1.56pm BST

68 min: ... and then Silva is given a rest, with Zabaleta coming on in his stead.

1.55pm BST

67 min: Milivojevic is replaced by Flamini ...

1.54pm BST

66 min: Sane very nearly works space to shoot to the right of goal, but is closed down so juggles the ball awhile instead.

1.52pm BST

64 min: Zaha exchanges passes with Benteke and goes racing down the inside-left channel. For a second it looks as though he’s going to break clear on goal, but Otamendi steps across to cover and is clattered for his trouble. Better from Palace, though it’s all far too late.

1.51pm BST

62 min: Sane is found in acres down the left by De Bruyne. He skelps a high cross through the area at speed; it nearly takes poor Jesus’s head clean off. A bit too much on that one.

1.49pm BST

This should wrap up the three points! Renowned target man Silva flicks a header on down the right. Jesus latches onto it and plays an instant ball inside for De Bruyne, who slots a fine effort into the bottom right from the right-hand edge of the D, the ball grazing Hennessey’s fingertips.

1.47pm BST

59 min: Palace break upfield in an attempt to get something going. Zaha and Benteke one-two down the middle, but the passes are loose and momentum is lost.

1.46pm BST

58 min: Kelly gifts the ball to De Bruyne in the centre circle. The City man flies down the middle before slipping a pass to Sane on his outside. Sane creams one goalwards. Hennessey parries. De Bruyne shanks the rebound wide right, and though a deflection leads to a corner, the set piece comes to nothing.

1.45pm BST

57 min: The oddly quiet Townsend is replaced by Chung-Yong Lee.

1.44pm BST

55 min: Space for Fernandinho out on the right. He blasts a rising shot goalwards from a tight angle, but it’s blocked. The denizens of the City of Manchester Stadium are enjoying this now. As things stand, the Citizens are going third.

1.42pm BST

53 min: So close to a third for City! De Bruyne sends a power curl towards the top left. Hennessey is beaten all ends up, but the ball clips the top of the crossbar, just too high. A fine effort. City have started this half like they started the first. Can they pile on more goals this time?

1.41pm BST

52 min: De Bruyne looks to burst down the inside-left channel and is cynically bowled to the ground by Milivojevic. The Palace midfielder is booked. And this is a free kick in a dangerous position, 25 yards out, just to the left of goal.

1.40pm BST

51 min: De Bruyne probes down the left and earns a corner. The set piece leads to another corner out on the right. Kompany meets that second one with a header on the penalty spot. He sends the ball towards the bottom left, but it’s a wee bit wide. City were looking a little shaky in the few minutes before half time, but the old swagger is back now.

1.38pm BST

What a goal this is! De Bruyne’s first corner is dreadful, failing to clear the first man. But the ball’s recycled back out to him, and a player of his quality isn’t going to make the same mistake twice. He takes a touch, looks up, and slides a ball of great perfection towards Kompany, in space, 12 yards out and level with the right-hand post. Kompany meets it first time and lashes an unstoppable shot into the top right! City finally have the breathing space their overall play deserves.

1.36pm BST

48 min: Sterling and Toure work away down the right and earn a corner. City load the box. And then...

1.35pm BST

And we’re off again! Palace get the ball rolling for the second half. City should really be out of sight, on balance of play, but they’re not. They try to right those wrongs early in the half as Kompany creams a long pass towards Jesus, but there’s a little too much juice on it. City come back at Palace again, Silva twisting this way and that down the inside-right channel, working space to shoot on the right-hand edge of the D. His low effort is pulled wide right. A suggestion that City might have been given a half-time blast by their manager.

1.21pm BST

Half-time reading: Some news and views from across the way.

Related: Moaning minnie: has José Mourinho actually got anything to complain about? | Paul Wilson

1.20pm BST

And that’s that, the end of a very entertaining half. City will wonder how they’re not miles out in front. But they let Palace grow into the game towards the end of the half. Their season in microcosm. It’s all set up for a fascinating second 45. Don’t go anywhere!

1.18pm BST

45 min: Fernandinho is upended by Zaha as he looks to make ground down the right. Free kick. The City fans aren’t happy, because a few seconds earlier, Puncheon clattered into Sane as the winger crossed from the left, but the whistle didn’t go. The resulting free kick is plucked from the sky by Hennessey, and Zaha’s sent skittering down the left. De Bruyne and notorious hard man Silva take turns to send Zaha spinning, but again the whistle doesn’t go. On the touchline, Sam Allardyce delivers his own verdict in the Anglo-Saxon style.

1.14pm BST

43 min: Schlupp was fortunate not to be booked for a hysterical lunge on De Bruyne a few minutes ago. Now the roles are reversed, as De Bruyne pays him back with an agitated clip on the Palace man’s ankle. The referee tells both players to stop being so bloody stupid, grown men and all.

1.13pm BST

41 min: Otamendi fannies about with the ball at his feet, the last man, 40 yards from his own goal. He’s very nearly robbed by Benteke, and takes a clank on his tootsies for the trouble. He hops about in pain, but at least he’s not feeling the hot flush of embarrassment across his cheeks.

1.11pm BST

39 min: This has turned into a right odd game. Palace could be many goals behind. They could also be level. Milivojevic has space to shoot, 25 yards from goal. His effort is blocked but balloons to Van Aanholt out on the left. Van Aanholt attempts an ambitious screamer from a tight angle. It’s wide and high.

1.10pm BST

37 min: City respond with a couple of attacks. Sane, out on the right, swings deep for Jesus, who is palmed to the ground by Ward. There’s not much contact there, to be honest, but referees get whistle happy sometimes, and you’ve seen those given too. Then Silva romps into acres of space down the left. Strangely, nobody in blue bothers to buzz into space, and Silva’s eventual low cross, a percentage play with no options obvious, is snaffled by Hennessey.

1.08pm BST

36 min: Sane shoots from a tight angle on the left, but the effort is parried clear. Palace move upfield through Ward on the right. He crosses for Benteke, who rises and sends a header towards the bottom right. It’s saved brilliantly by Caballero and McArthur can’t convert the knockdown. But Palace are suddenly in this game!

1.06pm BST

34 min: De Bruyne tries to break upfield, but Ward shoulders him off the ball and slips a pass down the left for Zaha, who enters the area. He should shoot, but looks for a yellow shirt in the middle instead. City clear again.

1.05pm BST

33 min: But then Fernandinho plays a loose ball in the midfield, and Zaha is able to skate down the left at speed. City are light at the back, so Kompany has to come over and step across his man. That’s a booking, one taken for the team. A free kick’s swung into the box, but Benteke can’t get anywhere near it. City clear.

1.04pm BST

32 min: Sane and Sterling take turns to batter shots at the Palace goal. Sane cuts in from the left. Batter! Hennessey parries. Sterling latches onto the rebound. Batter! Kelly hacks clear off the line. How on earth are City just the one goal ahead? Palace are struggling a bit here.

1.02pm BST

30 min: Breaking news: David Silva is rather good at football. He sashays in from the right wing, plays a wall pass off Sterling, and slips a pass down the channel and into the box for Jesus, who tries to whip a first-time effort across Hennessey and into the bottom left. Not quite. Such a good move to watch.

1.01pm BST

29 min: De Bruyne, gliding past three challenges on a left-to-right route, feeds Silva, whose immediate cushioned touch allows Silva to dribble into the area from the right wing. Silva can’t quite work space for a decent shot, falling backwards on the penalty spot and sending a wafter straight at Hennessey.

12.59pm BST

27 min: Toure, just inside the Palace half, has all the time in the world to size up a pass along the inside-left channel for De Bruyne. It’s lacking a couple of joules of energy, otherwise it’d have reached De Bruyne quicker and he’d have been clear on goal. But Kelly is able to barge him out of the way. City come straight back at Palace, Sane exchanging passes with Jesus down the left wing but running out of space before he can dig out a cross.

12.56pm BST

25 min: Silva’s relentless brilliance leads to a corner down the right. The ball’s worked all around the Palace area, and for a second it looks as though Jesus is going to dribble along the byline on the left and into the six-yard box. But the young star runs the ball out of play. Palace survive.

12.55pm BST

23 min: Palace need to show in attack, if only to relieve the pressure on their defence. Puncheon goes on a curly walk down the left and loops to the far post where Benteke lurks, hoping to power a header goalwards. Kompany eyebrows the cross away from danger. That’s a little better from the visitors, though.

12.54pm BST

22 min: Silva drops deep on the left and this time he finds Sterling with a gorgeously weighted slide-rule pass. Sterling latches onto it by circumventing Ward on the outside and cutting into the box. He should shoot, facing Hennessey at an angle, but he opts to lay off for Jesus instead, and the young striker’s shot is blocked. Sterling should have taken that one on himself.

12.52pm BST

21 min: Silva jinks and jives down the left and very nearly flicks Sterling free down the channel and into the box. Palace just about manage to bundle the ball away from the danger zone.

12.51pm BST

19 min: Sane glides in from the right and makes space for a shot. He nearly finds the top-left corner ... of the stand behind the goal. Whoops. Hey, it happens to them all.

12.49pm BST

18 min: This is extremely one-sided. Jesus drives hard at the Palace back line, and it takes three yellow shirts to crowd him out on the edge of the area. Then Sterling has a serious look down the left wing, but can’t quite wriggle free of Ward. City keep coming at Palace. A second goal, and soon, wouldn’t be a great surprise.

12.48pm BST

16 min: It’s all City. A long period of possession. Sane slows down to a halt on the right, before cranking it up again and flicking the ball inside for Fernandinho, who bursts into the box and nearly finds Jesus in the middle with a flick of his boot. It’s just a corner, though, and nothing comes of that.

12.46pm BST

14 min: Van Aanholt surges down the left, which suggests he might be OK. Schlupp then tries to flick a ball inside for Benteke, but his pass is intercepted by Fernandinho and soon City are streaming upfield through Silva, who very nearly sets Sane free down the right. Not quite. City are playing with a lot of confidence, though. Peaking at the right time, perhaps, with that Champions League place in mind.

12.44pm BST

12 min: Van Aanholt is down holding his leg. With the Palace squad already light on defenders, this is the last thing Sam Allardyce needs. He chews in manic fashion. Eventually his player gets up, and it looks like he’ll be OK to continue, at least for now. But that’ll worry the big man.

12.41pm BST

10 min: City have their tails up. Toure takes his turn to dictate play, flicking a pass down the inside-right channel for Fernandinho to run onto. Today’s right back has a dig from distance, sending a rising shot straight down Hennessey’s throat.

12.40pm BST

8 min: Silva looks in the mood. He dances down the left and earns a corner. Nothing comes of that, but he’s soon conducting affairs again, down the left again. The ball’s shuttled inside for Toure, who finds De Bruyne coming in from the right with a looping cross. De Bruyne meets it first time, and sends a screeching volley high and wide right. But it wasn’t too far away from the top corner. Marvellous ambition.

12.38pm BST

6 min: Van Aanholt pushes his way past Fernandinho on the left and flicks a ball inside for Zaha, who powers into the area. He’s trying to open his body to shoot from a tight angle, and goes to ground under a light Toure shove on the corner of the six-yard box. No penalty, and it would have been very, very generous, bordering on unfair. But you see them given sometimes, is all.

12.37pm BST

4 min: City look like they mean business today. Jesus makes off down the middle, latching onto a poor Zaha pass in the midfield. He’s upended by Kelly, who is booked for his cynicism. Not a good couple of minutes for him. City have a free kick in the centre circle, but would much rather have had the advantage, with Sane preparing to dribble with purpose at a backtracking Palace defence. Referee Michael Oliver is big enough to admit his mistake, nodding his head in sympathetic fashion.

12.35pm BST

Silva’s back from injury, and it didn’t take him long to influence things again! He sits deep and scoops a ball down the inside-left for Sterling, who is free to the left of the six-yard box. Sterling hooks into the middle. Kelly heads poorly towards the penalty spot. Silva meets the dropping ball and slaps it into the bottom right. What a start!

12.32pm BST

And we’re off! The astonishing youngster Gabriel Jesus gets the ball rolling for City. De Bruyne immediately makes good down the right but his cross is blocked by Van Aanholt. He had space and time there, with options in the middle, and should have done better. It would have been a ludicrously fast start, mind.

12.27pm BST

The teams are out! City in their famous sky blue, Palace in their second-choice yellow shirts with red-and-blue sash. We’ll be off in a minute, right here, right now, but in the meantime here’s Ian Copestake: “Poor Damien Delaney. His manager does not regard him as athletic, able to cope with mobile strikers and not the best in possession. Is he good at cards?” In fairness, Allardyce did also say his defence dealt reasonably well with “the big lad Sam Vokes” last weekend, so it’s swings and roundabouts. Top-class man-management. He should swing by Old Trafford after the match and advise Jose how to deal with Luke Shaw.

11.58am BST

Sam Allardyce explains his team selection. “They have a very athletic, very small, very tricky front line, do Manchester City, and we have to be able to cope with that. Great mobility, good skills. So we’ve gone for the back lads being a bit more athletic and hopefully able to cope with that, and see what we can do when we have possession. Yeah, it’s Schlupp in central defence, Jeffrey Schlupp, that’s where he is.”

11.52am BST

Pep Guardiola gives answers to various questions. We present them here in the non-sequitur style. “Yesterday afternoon I spoke to the physios who told me David Silva could play. He is not perfect, but he can play. He is quality, has personality, he helps us do what we want to do. Our front line is young and dynamic and quick. It is not easy to create chances against Crystal Palace, and they have dangerous players at set pieces. I don’t know why they do well against big teams, you’ll have to ask Sam Allardyce.”

11.46am BST

Manchester City give their starting XI a good shoogle after the disappointing draw at Middlesbrough last weekend. Aleksandar Kolarov and Jesus Navas drop to the bench, while the injured Sergio Aguero and Aleix Garcia are missing altogether. Called up: Raheem Sterling, Leroy Sane, Yaya Toure and - a pleasant surprise for City this - David Silva.

Crystal Palace meanwhile make one change to the team named for the defeat against Burnley last Saturday. Jeff Schlupp comes in for Damien Delaney.

11.32am BST

Manchester City: Caballero, Fernandinho, Kompany, Otamendi, Sterling, Toure, Silva, Clichy, De Bruyne, Gabriel Jesus, Sane.
Subs: Sagna, Zabaleta, Fernando, Kolarov, Jesus Navas, Gunn, Iheanacho.

Crystal Palace: Hennessey, Ward, Kelly, Van Aanholt, Schlupp, McArthur, Milivojevic, Puncheon, Zaha, Christian Benteke, Townsend.
Subs: Speroni, Flamini, Remy, Campbell, Lee, Sako, Delaney.

10.55am BST

It was only a couple of weeks ago when Crystal Palace were one of the form teams in the country. A run of six wins in eight matches, including victories over Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool, was nothing short of sensational. It was well timed and much needed, too, as it dragged Sam Allardyce’s men out of the relegation mire. To safety? Well, nearly.

Times change, though, and Palace have lost their last two matches. Defeat at home to rampant Spurs wasn’t much of a shock, but getting comprehensively rolled over at Selhurst Park last weekend by Burnley certainly was. Victory against Sean Dyche’s side would have pretty much ensured Palace’s continued Premier League presence; as things stand, though, the Eagles are still looking over their shoulder.

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Real Madrid 3-0 Atlético Madrid: Champions League semi-final first leg – as it happened

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick as Real overpowered meek Atlético at the Bernabeu.

9.27am BST

And here’s Jacob Steinberg on Ronaldo’s enduring excellence:

Related: Cristiano Ronaldo continues to make fools of those trying to write him off | Jacob Steinberg

9.27am BST

Related: ‘Unique’ Cristiano Ronaldo benefits from Zinedine Zidane’s guidance

10.15pm BST

Related: Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick ensures Real Madrid turn the screw on Atlético

9.36pm BST

That Cristiano Ronaldo, huh? That’s his 42nd hat-trick in a Real Madrid shirt. Three goals in a European Cup semi-final for a player who has supposedly seen better days. Some decline! And his team-mates weren’t half bad either: Real were as impressive tonight as Atletico were uncharacteristically meek. Unless something very dramatic occurs at the Vicente Calderón next Wednesday, the reigning champions will be off to the Cardiff final.

9.34pm BST

90 min: Asensio romps down the left wing. He looks to find Ronaldo, free, in acres in the centre. His low cross clanks off Godin’s ankle, and nearly spins into the bottom left corner. That would have been a farcical end to a thrashing. As things stand, it’s just a corner that comes to nothing.

9.33pm BST

88 min: Ronaldo threatens to bust clear down the left but can’t quite control. Play breaks to the right wing, where Modric heads a loose ball forward into the area, races after it himself, and lashes a shot inches wide of the right-hand post. Real aren’t quite out of sight, but that was dot-on-horizon territory.

9.31pm BST

A hat-trick for Ronaldo! And this was so simple! He slips a ball down the inside-right channel for Lucas Vazquez, who nearly runs the ball out of play but hooks it back from the byline to the penalty spot, where Ronaldo, following in, takes a touch and batters a shot into the middle of the net! What a performance by the 32-year-old star! His career’s slowly winding down, apparently.

9.29pm BST

85 min: Atletico are a bit of a rabble right now. They need an away goal, a momentum shifter in this tie, but they’ve been threatening to ship a third, and now they can’t get hold of the ball. Olé! scream the Real faithful, John Coltrane fans to a man.

9.27pm BST

83 min: Savic is booked for a late challenge on Ronaldo, who managed to keep going down the left and find Kroos on the edge of the box. Kroos thinks about shooting but instead slips a pass down the right channel for Lucas Vazquez, whose touch again isn’t up to much. Goal kick.

9.25pm BST

81 min: Koke rakes a wonderful pass down the left to send Gaitan into space. Gaitan loops a cross into the box, but it’s over the head of Torres. Real zip up the other end through the progressive Asensio, who Cruyff Turns his way past Lucas Hernandez down the left and finds Lucas Vazquez on the penalty spot. Vazquez can only waft at the ball and send it apologetically squirting off to the right of goal. But what approach play by Asensio!

9.22pm BST

79 min: Koke blocks off Modric in the middle of the park. He’s already seen yellow, so needs to watch himself. The patrons of the Bernabeu, in unison, remind the referee of this, but no action is taken.

9.21pm BST

77 min: Gaitan loops a free kick from the right wing into the Real box. Navas is clattered to the ground and the pressure is released. Benzema is replaced by Lucas Vazquez.

9.20pm BST

75 min: Asensio tears down the left with Atletico very light at the back. His cross looking for Benzema isn’t up to much. The visitors really need an away goal now, you’d have thought. They probe awhile, but it’s all sterile centre-circle stuff.

9.18pm BST

This exploded out of nothing! Marcelo crosses low from the left. Benzema, just outside the D, holds off Godin and shuttles the ball further right for Ronaldo, who shakes off Filipe Luis and thunders an unstoppable shot into the top left! What a strike!

9.16pm BST

72 min: A free kick for Atletico out on the left. Koke lumps long. Savic knees Ronaldo in the back. There goes that pressure! Real wheech up the other end, Asensio making off energetically down the left and very nearly finding Benzema in the centre with a dangerously whipped cross. Not quite.

9.14pm BST

70 min: This is suddenly a bit scrappy. Gaitan stands on Nacho’s boot. Nacho screams and rolls around quite a lot. Then Filipe Luis clanks into Modric’s shin. Quite a lot of whistling in the Bernabeu. Referee Martin Atkinson performs the universal mime for Calm Down For The Love Of God You’re Grown Men.

9.12pm BST

68 min: Ah yes, here we go, Isco is hooked in favour of the 20-year-old Marco Asensio. Meanwhile a strange sub by Atletico: the excellent Carrasco is replaced by Correa. Carrasco is just back from injury, so that one might have been pre-planned.

9.11pm BST

66 min: Marcelo scampers into space down the left, but his low cross evades Ronaldo in the centre. Isco tries to retrieve the ball on the edge of the box, and is again a bit scrappy in the challenge. Nothing serious, but he needs to reign it in a wee bit, else he finds trouble.

9.08pm BST

64 min: Koke takes a slightly heavy touch in the midfield, turning a simple dribble into a 50-50 with Isco. The Real man slides in rather clumsily, catching Koke, who sends the ball long, with a late tackle. Isco has already been booked, and it’s a point Diego Simeone makes on the touchline with some passion. The referee isn’t interested in booking Isco. Simeone is not particularly impressed.

9.06pm BST

62 min: Isco executes a couple of cute stepovers and dragbacks down the right, making some space for himself. He tries to float one into the area for Benzema, but the ball drifts into the arms of Oblak.

9.04pm BST

60 min: Carrasco knocks the ball down the left wing and goes haring after it. Nacho beats him in the foot race and hooks the ball out of play. From the resulting throw, the ball’s worked to Griezmann who whips a cross through the area. Torres is nowhere near it. Atletico soon come again, and Koke has a whack from distance. That’s not close, but at least the visitors are beginning to make in-roads again after a quiet period up front.

9.01pm BST

58 min: Carrasco has a belt from 25 yards. It’s no good. Diego Simeone has seen his team toil in attack long enough. He makes a double change: Torres and Gaitan come on; Gameiro and Saul Niguez go off.

9.00pm BST

56 min: Gameiro is found in a lot of space down the left. But he dithers and the chance of causing bother is gone.

8.57pm BST

54 min: Saul is booked for a light tug on Nacho, as the Real sub makes off down the right. The free kick is a chance for Real to load the box, and ends up being a load of agricultural nonsense. Atletico clear their lines easily enough.

8.56pm BST

52 min: Ronaldo makes good down the Real right and very nearly finds Benzema on the edge of the Atletico six-yard box with a low fizzer. The ball’s bundled out for a corner, which comes to nothing. We’re already back up to the pace of the first half; it’ll be a surprise if this game ends without further scoreboard movement.

8.55pm BST

50 min: Ramos comes through the back of Griezmann and is fairly fortunate to escape a booking. It’s a free kick, though. From the set piece, Atletico pass it around awhile, before Carrasco goes down ludicrously easily on the edge of the D. The referee isn’t about to award a free kick for that. Carrasco was daft to go to ground, as though he didn’t have space to shoot, he had Griezmann buzzing around as an option.

8.52pm BST

48 min: Lovely footwork from Marcelo down the left, who evades a challenge and flicks a pass down the wing for Ronaldo in one graceful swish. Ronaldo is clattered by Savic in the uncompromising style. It takes all sorts. No booking, but the yellow card soon comes out as Isco stands on the foot of Lucas. Late and clumsy, the Real man doesn’t bother arguing.

8.49pm BST

46 min: A slightly sleepy start to the half by Real. Casemiro gifts the ball to Griezmann 30 yards out, but the Atletico striker can’t find Gameiro down the inside-left channel with his attempt to spring the home defence.

8.48pm BST

And we’re off again! Real get the ball rolling for the second half. Carvajal was unable to continue, so he’s been replaced by Nacho.

8.39pm BST

Half-time reading: It’s Monaco-Juventus this time tomorrow, of course. Here’s award-winning author and tactical godhead Jonathan Wilson on Juve’s superstar-in-waiting Paulo Dybala.

Related: Paulo Dybala: the rise and rise of Juventus’ attacking ‘jewel’ | Jonathan Wilson

8.35pm BST

And that’s your lot for the first half. Cristiano Ronaldo’s 101st Champions League goal is the difference so far.

8.33pm BST

45 min: Carvajal is down getting treatment. He’s holding the back of his leg and looking frustrated. Real will wait until half time before making any change.

8.32pm BST

44 min: Marcelo goes on a baroque wander down the left, and earns his team a corner. It’s welcome respite for Real, who have seen Atletico come back at them in the closing stages of this half. The set piece comes to nothing.

8.29pm BST

42 min: With Casemiro still getting his lip seen to, Lucas swings a cross into the Real box from the right. Navas does very well to claim a high ball under pressure from a couple of Atletico men.

8.28pm BST

40 min: Real look to have dealt with the corner, but Ronaldo hysterically shanks a wild clearance behind for another set piece. The second corner leads to poor Casemiro getting caught in a pincer movement between Godin and his own man Ramos. That’s a split lip. He’ll be fine to continue after the doctor patches him up.

8.26pm BST

39 min: The brilliant Carrasco skitters down the right and reaches the byline before firing a low cross towards Koke at the near post. Koke tries the flick but it’s blocked out for a corner on the right.

8.24pm BST

37 min: Can a lull be played out at high pace? If so, there’s a bit of a lull. A lot of fast Real passing, to little effect.

8.23pm BST

35 min: Casemiro fannies around 35 yards from his own goal, allowing Griezmann to scamper off with the ball like a comic character holding a bag of sweeties. Tee hee, now for a feast! He’s got Gameiro to his side and there’s only Varane in the way. A real chance for Atletico to cause some serious problems. But the two scamps get in each other’s way, and the chance for one or the other to be sent clear on goal is gone.

8.21pm BST

34 min: Atletico have been threatening to get back into the game, so Real stroke it around the middle awhile to reassert their authority.

8.19pm BST

32 min: ... instead of going for goal, Griezmann chips delicately over the Real wall and towards Godin, rushing in from the right. Godin meets the dropping ball with a volley, but he’s leaning back and it flies over the bar from six yards. A sweetly worked free kick which so nearly came off.

8.18pm BST

31 min: Carrasco dribbles down the middle and is upended by Carvajal, 25 yards from goal. A free kick in a very promising position. Carrasco and Griezmann stand over it, and...

8.17pm BST

29 min: This was nearly a picture-book goal! Ronaldo twists and turns down the left, and from a tight spot manages to dig out a cross towards the far post. Benzema, with his back to goal, ten yards out, nearly dispatches a left-footed belter of an overhead kick into the top-right corner. High and wide, but that was inches away from perfection.

8.15pm BST

28 min: The excellent Carrasco goes on a power wander down the left. He cuts inside and the ball’s fed back to the wing for Filipe Luis, in a lot of space. He’s got options in the middle, but blooters a high cross right over the box. Nothing’s quite coming off for Atletico in attack.

8.13pm BST

26 min: Koke is booked for tugging back Modric as Real attempt to break upfield. Atletico have been rattled by Real’s all-action start, all right.

8.11pm BST

24 min: Benzema whips the ball off Savic’s toe, and very nearly breaks clear into the Atletico area down the left. He’s ushered away from danger. But Real come straight back at their rivals. Marcelo bombs down the left and whips a dangerous ball into the centre. Oblak punches clear at full stretch, but only to Modric who returns a shot from the right-hand corner of the D. Modric is looking for the bottom left, and has beaten Oblak, but the ball squeaks wide left of the post.

8.08pm BST

22 min: A free kick for Atletico out on the left, and a chance for the visitors to load the box. Koke lumps the ball into the mixer; Varane heads it out for a corner on the left. Koke takes, but can’t beat the first man Benzema, who blasts the ball away from danger. This match is rattling along at a glorious pace.

8.07pm BST

20 min: Carvajal is allowed to run and run and run down the right. He eventually sashays infield before hooking the ball into the centre for Benzema, who swings a leg and sends a strange looper of a shot straight at Oblak. Atletico are looking uncharacteristically shaky at the back.

8.05pm BST

19 min: They said this was going to be cagey!

8.05pm BST

17 min: Atletico have been seriously rocking, but here’s a reminder of the threat they carry. Koke slips a simple ball down the middle for Gameiro, who enters the box and should really round Navas and score. But his touch to the left is weak, allowing Navas to snaffle brilliantly. Marvellous goalkeeping, though he really shouldn’t have been given any chance there. A fine opportunity for a precious away goal spurned!

8.03pm BST

16 min: Modric curls the corner onto the head of Varane, who batters a header down towards the bottom right. Oblak does very well to fingertip the ball round the post at full stretch. What a save! The second corner comes to nothing.

8.02pm BST

15 min: Benzema wins a corner down the left. The ball’s half cleared, but Real are quickly coming back at Atletico, Marcelo attempting to curl in a cross from the same wing. The ball hits an Atletico elbow. The referee isn’t having the penalty claims. It’s just a corner out on the left.

8.01pm BST

14 min: Carrasco, who had started brightly on the Atletico left, has been switched to the right. Momentarily all at sea, he concedes possession to Isco, who nearly causes a lot of trouble down the flank for the visitors. But Lucas holds him up.

7.59pm BST

12 min: Real stroke it around the middle of the park. This is a statement. Atletico look a little rattled.

7.57pm BST

The ball ends up on the right wing. Ramos crosses deep. Savic wins the header, but it only goes back wide right for Casemiro, who ping-pongs an instant return into the middle. Ronaldo, six yards out in a central position, can’t miss! He powers his header past Oblak, and it’s a dream start for the reigning champions! Ronaldo was standing offside when the first cross came in from Ramos, but not when he met the second from Casemiro: interfering with play or not? Argue amongst yourselves.

7.56pm BST

9 min: Real, after a slow start, have suddenly decided to turn up the heat. A free kick on the left leads to nothing, but the ball’s recycled, Casemiro nearly finding Ronaldo with a pitching wedge down the inside-left channel. Atletico are forced to concede a corner, from which...

7.55pm BST

7 min: And having started well, Atletico nearly go behind, as Carvajal shimmies in from the right, one-twos with Isco, and curls a low shot from a tight angle towards the bottom right. Oblak parries, but the ball breaks to Benzema, six yards out. He should score, you’d think, but it’s all happened so quickly that the ball clanks off him and squirts away off an Atletico defender for a corner. The set piece comes to nothing.

7.53pm BST

5 min: Filipe Luis dribbles down the inside-left channel, then drifts inside and plays a wall pass off Gameiro. Upon getting the ball back, he thinks about feeding Griezmann to the right of the D, but can’t quite get either pass or shot away. A nice move, though. Atletico have started well.

7.51pm BST

4 min: Real show in attack for the first time, and it’s that man Ronaldo, who romps down the left channel and launches a shot goalwards from 25 yards. It flies 25 yards over the bar. And wide too. Let’s be generous: a rangefinder.

7.50pm BST

3 min: Now Carrasco goes zipping down the left, but his cross isn’t all that. Goal kick. Navas clears upfield poorly, gifting the ball to the busy Carrasco. For a second, Real look light at the back. But Carrasco dithers and the chance to cause the hosts and European champions a problem is gone.

7.49pm BST

2 min: Ronaldo is clipped by Lucas out on the left. He frowns quite a lot. The ball’s recycled to the right wing, but Carrasco intercepts and very nearly releases Gameiro down the inside-left with a fine curling pass. Navas comes to the edge of his box to claim.

7.47pm BST

And we’re off! The first European Cup semi-final is on! Atletico get the ball rolling. Gameiro goes chasing after a long hoick down the left, but he can’t get on the end of it. A brisk, front-foot start by the visitors, though.

7.45pm BST

The teams are out! A huge banner is unfurled to celebrate Real’s final wins in Lisbon and Milan over Atletico. Like the Bernabeu needs stoking up any more. The atmosphere is ... ah, you don’t need me to complete that sentence. Wow. Real Madrid are in their world-famous meringue-white shirts; Atletico have opted for their change strip of black shirts with yellow shorts. We’ll be off in a minute!

7.36pm BST

Diego Simeone speaks to BT Sport before the game. “I feel excited, happy, nervous, anxious! All the feelings that someone managing a club at the top level for five-and-a-half years would have when trying to go as far as possible. Looking at the two finals, we lost one in extra time and one on penalties, so we haven’t done too badly over the 90 minutes! The most important thing is to be focused and forget all that has happened in the past because it counts for very little. Atletico has been competing at the highest level in the Champions League for the last four years, which means the rivalry with Real has been much bigger. We’re competing well. It’s exciting for the city. We’re ready for a great game.”

7.30pm BST

While we wait, a little light pre-match reading. A classic Joy of Six on memorable European Cup semi-finals, courtesy of the great Rob Smyth. Real fans be warned: article includes 3-0 comeback victory for Barcelona and 5-0 defeat for your chaps. But world-class storytelling trumps mere personal preference, right? We’re all grown-ups here.

Related: Champions League preview: The Joy of Six: European Cup semi-finals

7.03pm BST

Real make two changes to the starting XI named for their 2-1 victory over Valencia last weekend. Raphael Varane returns from a hamstring injury while Isco steps up from the bench; Nacho and James Rodriguez are only subs today.

Atlético also make two changes from the weekend, when they tonked Las Palmas 5-0. Diego Godin and Yannick Carrasco return from suspension and the sick bay respectively; Jose Gimenez is injured while Nicolas Gaitan drops to the bench.

6.46pm BST

Real Madrid: Navas, Carvajal, Ramos, Varane, Marcelo, Kroos, Casemiro, Modrić, Isco, Benzema, Ronaldo.
Subs: Casilla, Nacho, James Rodríguez, Kovačić, Vázquez, Asensio, Morata.

Atlético Madrid: Oblak, Lucas Hernández, Savić, Godin, Filipe Luis, Koke, Gabi, Saúl Ñíguez, Carrasco, Griezmann, Gameiro.
Subs: Moyà, Tiago, Torres, Correa, Thomas, Gaitán, Alberto Rodríguez.

9.14am BST

This is the fifth time Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid have met in the European Cup. Madrid have won all four previous ties. ¡Oh Atleti!

The teams first met in continental competition in the 1958-59 European Cup semi. Madrid won the first leg at the Bernabéu 2-1, goals from Héctor Rial and Ferenc Puskás wiping out Chuzo’s early opener. Enrique Collar secured a 1-0 win for Atlético in the return at the Estadio Metropolitano de Madrid. In the days before away goals, that meant a replay six days later at La Romareda in neutral Zaragoza. Alfredo Di Stéfano scored first, Collar equalised, and Puskás scored the winner which took Real into their fourth successive final.

Related: Atlético Madrid look to the present to end Real Madrid jinx of the past

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The Fiver | Come back, Vasas! Wiener Sport-Club! Alfredo and Ferenc! All is forgiven

In today’s Fiver: the same old story and Emre Can’s All-Star Entertainers

Given Real Madrid won the first five Big Cup finals, and by an aggregate scoreline of 18-8 to boot, you have to hand it to Uefa for somehow managing to make their premier club tournament even more predictable in the modern era. At least back in the day, Real would play teams such as Reims, Fiorentina and Eintracht Frankfurt in the final, Vasas in the semis, and the likes of Servette, Royal Antwerp and Wiener Sport-Club along the way. Nowadays the same sides repeatedly face each other again and again. And again. In 2014, Real beat Atlético Madrid in the final. In 2015, Real beat Atlético in the quarter-final. Last year, Real beat Atlético in the final. This year, Real are going to beat Atlético in the semi-final, while the underdogs of the competition are a club representing a jurisdiction offering favourable tax breaks to oligarchs. Come back, Vasas! Wiener Sport-Club! Alfredo and Ferenc! All is forgiven.

Related: Atlético Madrid look to the present to end Real Madrid jinx of the past

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