Real Madrid moved 13 points clear at the top of La Liga

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February 19,2012

Real Madrid moved 13 points clear at the top of La Liga with a 4-0 win over Racing Santander at the Bernabeu Stadium on Saturday.

Karim Benzema scored twice as Madrid notched up their 18th win in 19 matches since the end of September.

The hosts went ahead in the sixth minute as Cristiano Ronaldo headed home from a Kaka cross.

Santander made their task even harder when Domingo Cisma was sent off for handling the ball in the 38th minute and soon the deficit was doubled as Benzema scored from a tight angle moments before the break.

Substitute Angel Di Maria netted a third in the 73rd minute before Benzema scored a fourth in the 89th minute.

Barcelona can reduce the arrears to 10 points on Sunday if they beat Valencia at the Nou Camp.

Espanyol are up to fourth place after claiming a point in a 1-1 draw with mid-table Getafe.

Substitute Alvaro Vazquez gave Espanyol the lead in the 66th minute only to relinquish it a minute later when the referee awarded Getafe a penalty after Miku was brought down by Thievy Bifouma.

Miku made no mistake from the spot.

Meanwhile in Serie A, Juventus came from behind to beat 10-manCatania 3-1 in Turin.

Pablo Barrientos gave the Sicilians the lead in the 4th minute before Andrea Pirlo put Juve back on level terms in the 22nd minute.

Marco Motta's dismissal in the 65th minute saw Juve take control of the match with goals from Giorgio Chiellini in the 74th minute and Fabio Quagliarella seven minutes later wrapping up the three points.

The win means Juventus now lead by two points but AC Milan can return to the top if they win at Cesena on Sunday.

AC Milan beats Arsenal : 4-0

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February 16, 2012

AC Milan are all but through to the quarterfinals of the Champions League after thrashing Arsenal 4-0 at the San Siro on Wednesday.

Brazilian striker Robinho scored twice as the Serie A champions dominated the first leg of the last-16 tie with the north London club.

Kevin Prince Boateng put Milan ahead in the 15th minute with a sumptuous half-volley after chesting down a chipped pass from Alberto Nocerino.

The Ghana midfielder's strike flew in off the underside of the bar leaving Wojciech Szczesny with no chance.

Robinho doubled the lead seven minutes before the break heading home a cut-back from Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Despite the arrival of Thierry Henry in the second half (his last appearance for the Gunners before he returns to the New York Red Bulls) things quickly went from bad to worse.

n the 49th minute, Ibrahimovic and Robinho combined again on the edge of Arsenal's penalty area before a slip by Thomas Vermaelen gifted the Brazilian a free shot which he put past Szczesny with ease.

Robine Van Persie forced a fine save from Christian Abbiati in the 65th minute but it was a rare chance for the Dutch striker on a miserable night for Arsene Wenger's team.

Ibrahimovic completed the rout converting from the penalty spot after he was brought down by Johan Djourou 12 minutes from the end.

"We were never in the game, we were very poor both offensively and defensively," Wenger said, AFP reported.

"It was shocking to see how we were beaten everywhere, it was the worst performance in Europe by far. There was not one moment during the 90 when we were really in the game," he added, AFP reported.

The return leg at the Emirates Stadium will be played on March 6.

In the other Champions League match played Wednesday, Russian champions Zenit St Petersburg came from behind to beat Portugal's Benfica 3-2 in the first leg of their last-16 tie.

Roman Shirokov scored twice while substitute Sergei Semak got the other.

Benfica's goals came from defender Maxi Pereira and Paraguayan striker Oscar Cardozo, both after errors by goalkeeper Yury Zhevnov.

Benfica took the lead in the 20th minute courtesy of a goal from Maxi Pereira before Zenit leveled the scores seven minutes later when Shirokov struck a sweet volley to score his first of the night.

Semak put Zenit in front in the 71st minute before Oscar Cardozo equalized three minutes from the end.

But Zenit responded immediately as Shirokov pounced on a defensive mistake to tap home the winner with two minutes remaining.

"My players showed really good skill. They showed a lot of heart to win the match in such a grave situation. However they did exactly what we decided to do ahead of the match. We won deservedly tonight," Zenit manager Luciano Spalletti said, AFP reported.

Meanwhile in Serie A, Juventus missed out on the chance to go top after being held to a 0-0 draw at Parma.

Juve's 10th draw of the league season (and their sixth on the road) means that AC Milan still head the league table but only by one point. The Rossoneri have also played one extra game.

The result lifts Parma to 12th place with 28 points.

In Serie A's other match Wednesday Guido Marilungo scored the winner for Atalanta in a 1-0 win over Genoa.

The strike 12 minutes from the end lifts Atalanta to 13th with 27 points. Genoa remain in 10th with 30 points.

Manchester United beats Bolton: 3-0

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15 February 2012

Paul Scholes made a memorable return to Old Trafford, scoring the opener as Manchester United beat Bolton to move level on points with Manchester City.

United carved out a number of first-half chances, with Adam Bogdan saving Wayne Rooney's penalty.

But Scholes, 37, who recently came out of retirement , struck before half-time when he tucked in Rooney's cross.

United were careless at times, but Danny Welbeck poked in before Michael Carrick settled nerves from 20 yards.

Although the result never seemed in doubt, there were times in the second period when a more effective attack than Bolton's may have made this a closer encounter.

Yet after back-to-back Premier League defeats, United will be happy to put pressure on their city rivals, who face a trip to Wigan on Monday.

Bolton's defeat means they remain in the Premier League's bottom three and now face tough games against Liverpool and Arsenal at home, where they have been least effective this season.

Scholes's strike was United's 50th league goal of the season - his first since August 2010 - and it came at an opportune time following a succession of chances for the hosts.

Bogdan was inspired in goal at times, not only saving Rooney's penalty, but also further efforts from the England striker and his team-mate Welbeck.

His penalty save, after Zat Knight tripped Welbeck, was superb, diving to his right to claw away Rooney's firmly struck effort.

DID Y

Mark Davies also cleared off the line and Bolton did well to survive intact, playing without the departing Gary Cahill, who is on the verge of signing for Chelsea .

But just as United fell into a lull as half-time approached, it was Scholes who sparked the game into life to continue a fine week for veterans coming out of retirement after Thierry Henry's goal for Arsenal on Monday.

Scholes, 37, had been relatively quiet up until that point on his first start since 22 May 2011, save for a whack on Mark Davies, but he was lurking at the back post to tuck in Rooney's cross after David Wheater had blocked Nani's centre.

It was his first goal for 32 matches since scoring on 22 August 2010 against Fulham, and it proved that on his second game back, a break from the game has done little to blunt his expert sense of timing.

The midfielder was later replaced, and similar to their second-half display against Manchester City last Sunday, Sir Alex Ferguson's side slid into periods of sloppiness with David Ngog guilty of not punishing them when he fired over from close range.

Rooney could not turn in Antonio Valencia's cross but only a desperate block by Rafael da Silva stopped Martin Petrov's shot, and the Brazilian also cleared Gretar Steinsson's looping header off the line.

While there was a goal between the two sides, it was far from comfortable for United but their fraying nerves held together when Welbeck latched onto Rooney's attempted through ball, although it looked like Wheater got the touch, and poked past Bogdan for his eighth of the season.

Unfortunately for United, Welbeck seemed to hurt his knee in stretching for the ball and they will hope he is fit for the trip to Arsenal next Sunday.

Carrick then collected Ryan Giggs's square pass to advance and almost passed the ball into the net from 20 yards to seal the victory.

Darren Pratley went close for Bolton late on, but there was no doubt who the evening belonged to and, as Scholes's fitness improves, the decision to return to playing could prove an inspired one.

F1 champion Vettel

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February 15, 2012 

Double world champion Sebastian Vettel insists Red Bull can continue to dominate Formula One as the leading marque unveiled their car for the 2012 season on Monday.

German driver Vettel has been unrivaled over the last two years, winning 16 races since the start of 2010 to become the sport's youngest two-time drivers' champion.

The 24-year-old's peerless form -- which earned him 11 grand prix wins in 2011 -- has also helped Red Bull clinch back-to-back constructors' titles.

Speaking at the launch of the new RB8, Vettel set his sights on securing a third successive Red Bull clean sweep.

"We had a great year," Vettel told the sport's official website. "I think we'll always look back to 2011 and think how special it was.

"We know how special it was and we really enjoyed that but we know how hard it is to be that consistent, always there and nearly every race on the podium.

"So the target is to obviously try to do it again and try to get everything out of ourselves, so we'll see how we get on with the new car, the RB8."

Despite the success of the Austrian-owned, UK-based team -- who entered the elite division of motorsport as recently as 2005 -- Vettel warned against complacency ahead of the new season, which starts in Australia on March 18.

"At the beginning of last year we didn't really expect whatever happened last year, so I think it's the same thing again.

"It would be wrong to go into this season and expect 2011 to happen again ... I think it will be very, very tight this year and anything else would be a surprise to be honest."

The target is to obviously try to do it again and try to get everything out of ourselves

Vettel's Australian teammate Mark Webber endured a frustrating 2011, securing his first and only win of the year at the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix on his way to a third-place finish in the drivers' standings -- 134 points behind Vettel.

"Last year wasn't an amazing season, but it wasn't too bad for me," the 35-year-old said. "I still managed to finish third in the drivers' championship ... so it was a great way for me to finish the year with the victory in Brazil and many strong results.

"We're always learning as athletes and I'm looking forward to 2012, it's got some great opportunities for me. You know the old cliche, take each race as it comes, but that's how it will be initially and we'll go from there."

Another veteran on the grid next year will be Finland's Kimi Raikkonen, the 2007 world champion, who is returning to the sport after a two-season absence.

The former Ferrari driver has joined Lotus -- who competed in last year's championship as Renault -- and spoke of his excitement at the launch of the team's new E20 car.

"Formula One is something very special in my racing career," said the 32-year-old, who participated in NASCAR and the World Rally Championship in his break from F1.

I think we'll have a lot of fun in the season ahead and hopefully we will get some good results

"You always want to race at the toughest level, so Formula One is where you want to race if you have a choice.

"I think we'll have a lot of fun in the season ahead and hopefully we will get some good results. I want a strong enough car to challenge for good results."

Swiss team Sauber also showcased their new car on Monday, with Japanese driver Kamui Kobayashi and Mexico's Sergio Perez on hand to take the C31 for a spin.

Kobayashi finished last season in 12th place, four positions and 16 points ahead of Perez, and he is looking forward to his third year with the team.

"We've been through a lot together and can benefit from our shared experiences," Kobayashi said. "In my first year with the team we had a bad start but a good second half to the season.

"The second year was the exact reverse. In our third year together we should be a reliable bet to finish consistently in the points. I'm really looking forward to the new season with the Sauber team."

Barcelona beats Leverkusen in Champions League

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February 15, 2012

Barcelona put one foot into the quarterfinals of the Champions League after completing a 3-1 win at Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday.

The reigning European champions dominated possession for large parts of the game with Alexis Sanchez opening the scoring in the 41st minute of the opening leg of the last-16 tie in Germany.

The Chilean striker chased onto a pass from Lionel Messi before firing past Leverkusen goalkeeper Bernd Leno.

Leverkusen equalized seven minutes after the break as recent signing Vedran Corluka chipped in a cross from which Czech Republic defender Michel Kadlec headed home.

But it wasn't long before Barca were back in front as Sanchez bagged his second of the night, scoring from a tight angle after receiving the ball from Cesc Fabregas.

Leverkusen had chances to equalize again as Renato Augusto forced a save from Victor Valdes, and midfielder Gonzalo Castro also hit the post in the 64th minute.

But it was Messi who had the final say on the evening, converting a cross from Dani Alves in the 88th minute to give Barca a comfortable buffer ahead of the second leg at the Nou Camp on March 7.

The world player of the year had started the move, finding Alves down the right with a superb pass, and he earlier hit the post after a sublime flick over the onrushing Leno.

In Tuesday's other last-16 tie, French side Lyon scored a narrow 1-0 win over minnows APOEL FC at the Stade Gerland.

Alexandre Lacazette's goal in the 58th minute proved the difference between the teams, but the first club from Cyprus to reach the knockout stages still have hopes of progressing with victory in Nicosia on March 7.

There were two Europa League ties played Tuesday with Besiktasbeating 10-man Braga 2-0 in the first leg of their last-32 tie.

Helder Barbosa's dismissal in the first half capped a miserable night for last year's finalists as their Turkish visitors made the most of the numerical advantage with goals in either half from Tomas Sivok and former Portugal international Simao.

Olympiakos edged Russian side Rubin Kazan 1-0 thanks to a goal from David Fuster in the 73rd minute.

Former Manchester United goalkeeper Roy Carroll coming on as a substitute to save a penalty five minutes later to earn the Greek side a hard fought victory.

Ferrari's set the fastest time in Formula 1 pre-season test.

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Ferrari's Fernando Alonso set the fastest time on the final day of the first Formula 1 pre-season test.

15 February 2012,

A day after his team admitted they were "not happy" with their car, the two-time champion did two laps faster than anyone else managed on Friday.

Toro Rosso's novice Jean-Eric Vergne was second, just ahead of Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel, who lost the entire morning to an electrical fault.

McLaren's Lewis Hamilton was fourth fastest, 0.034secs behind Vettel.

Analys

Alonso was the pacesetter from early on, first posting a lap time of 1:19.289 and then 1:18.877. He remained clear of the field all day.

"We learned a lot about the difference of the car [compared to last year's]," he said. "It's been a learning test for us, a lot of constant speeds for us to do the aero and mechanical tests.

"Overall, it has been a positive four days for us and understanding the car. But obviously, with a completely new concept and a completely new design, there is a lot of room for improvement for us and that's what we need to focus on in the next couple of tests."

He added that the team had discovered the car did not behave as they expected.

"We have worked around it and found the performance there," he said, "and found the happiness and level of confidence of driving this car now in day three or day four. So day one in Barcelona will be a much better starting point."

His best times were set on short runs when conditions were at their best for fast laps.

The 30-year-old spent the rest of the day doing aerodynamic data-gathering, a task which has occupied much of Ferrari's testing as they struggle to understand their new car.

“Red Bull again look like the team to beat, and there is a mixed picture from McLaren and Ferrari. Just as it did in 2011 when the team were Renault, the Lotus has left a good initial impression. Toro Rosso and Williams also appear to have decent cars”

Vettel's average lap time over the day was 1:21.372, while Hamilton's was 1:21.463. Alonso, who did little mileage apart from his quick runs in the morning, was 1:20.642.

Vettel said he was not concerned about losing so much time.

"I'm happy with the progress we've made, I think we managed to get a lot done," he said. "Of course, this morning was a bit of a setback but these things happen. It is simply part of testing, this is the reason why we are here."

Alonso's best time was the second fastest of the week for a 2012 car - 0.429secs slower than the quickest, set by Lotus driver Romain Grosjean.

The Franco-Swiss and his car continued to impress on Friday, with the fifth fastest time. His team-mate Kimi Raikkonen, returning to F1 after two years in rallying, also impressed with the fastest time on the first day.

Lotus trackside operations director Alan Permane said the team had had an "exceptional" test.

"We did 100 laps a day - more than anyone else with a 2012 car," he said. "To achieve that is really good.

"More than the pace - because it's difficult to work out what the others are doing because you don't know what fuel loads they're on - the drivers are happy with the car.

"There's a big difference compared to last year in terms of both balance and degradation and it's been hanging on to the tyres well.

"The drivers find it easy to drive and it responds well to set-up changes."

Sauber's Kamui Kobayashi and Force India's Nico Hulkenberg were next, with the Williams of Bruno Senna and the Caterham of Jarno Trulli completing the times.

Senna's best time was during a 70-lap race-distance simulation, which he completed, auguring well for Williams's hopes of a recovery in form as they seek to bounce from the worst season in their history last year.

The fastest time of the week was set by Nico Rosberg in the 2011 Mercedes, whose new car will run at the next test in Barcelona for four days from 21 February.

FASTEST TIMES, DAY FOUR TESTING, JEREZ

1 Fernando Alonso (Spa) Ferrari 1:18.877

2 Jean-Eric Vergne (Fra) Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1:19.597

3 Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Red Bull-Renault 1:19.606

4 Lewis Hamilton (GB) McLaren-Mercedes 1:19.640

5 Romain Grosjean (Swi) Lotus 1:19.729

6 Kamui Kobayashi (Jpn) Sauber-Ferrari 1:19.834

7 Nico Hulkenberg (Ger) Force India-Mercedes 1:19.977

8 Bruno Senna (Brz) Williams-Renault 1:20.132

9 Jarno Trulli (Ita) Caterham-Renault 1:22.198

Ferrari unveil its Formula 1 Racing Car for 2012

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February 3, 2012 

Two-time Formula One champion Fernando Alonso set his sights on a title charge in 2012 Friday as Ferrari unveiled the radical design of their car for the new season.

The F2012, Ferrari's 58th F1 car, features a dramatic steeped-nose look in order to conform to new regulations regarding the height of the front chassis.

Spain's Alonso finished 2011 fourth in the drivers' standings, 135 points behind Red Bull's double world champion Sebastian Vettel, after claiming just one race win at the British Grand Prix.

"It looks very different from what we have seen in the last two years," Alonso said at the launch, which was originally scheduled to take place Thursday but was pushed back 24 hours due to heavy snowfall.

"My third season at Ferrari and I am going to start with the same strength and determination. I want to do great.

"Of course it will be quite competitive for the whole season, but we want to see red cars on the podium. We start next week in Jerez and we keep working together. I am sure we will do well this year."

Ferrari have won a record 16 constructors' titles and the Italian marque have clinched 15 drivers' championships -- more than any other team.

But a disappointing campaign last year saw them finish third in the standings, 122 points adrift of McLaren and a massive 275 points behind double constructors' championship winners Red Bull.

"I believe in the skills we have here in Ferrari," former McLaren driver Alonso said. We have two months to get ready before the first competition.

"We have to fight for the title and try and get as many points as possible. We really want to be right at the top of the ranking.

"We have to be as consistent and resolute as possible and I am sure, really, really sure we will be able to get great targets and great responsibility for driving for Ferrari."

Alonso's teammate Felipe Massa also endured a frustrating season, but the Brazilian is confident the new car can fire Ferrari to success.

"Let me tell you that it looks really, really aggressive," said Massa. "This was part of my dreams. I know there was quite a lot of brainstorming when it comes to the new car.

"We always wanted to develop new models so I am impressed with the new car. We start in a few days and I am sure the championship will be stunning and very competitive."

Ferrari were not the only team showing off their new car Friday. Silverstone-based Force India had drivers Paul di Resta and Nico Hulkenberg on hand to reveal the VJM05.

Britain's Di Resta, the cousin of IndyCar legend Dario Franchitti, enjoyed a successful rookie season with the Indian-owned team, collecting 27 points to finish 13th in the drivers' championship.

"Seeing the new car built and complete for the first time is always an exciting moment," the 25-year-old said. "I've had a good winter and I've recharged my batteries, but now I'm fully focused on 2012 and looking forward to the start of testing.

"There's a really positive feeling in the team, good stability and hopefully we can pick up where we left off at the end of last year."

German driver Nico Hulkenberg has taken the place of compatriot Adrian Sutil, who was handed an 18-month suspended jail sentence earlier this week for injuring Eric Lux -- the chief executive of Lotus' parent company Genii Capital.

"Preparations for the new season have been full-on with simulator sessions and lots of fitness training," said Hulkenberg, who last raced for Williams in 2010.

"I feel ready to get back to racing and I'm excited to find out what the new car feels like next week."

Elsewhere, veteran Indian driver Narain Karthikeyan has returned to Spanish team HRT. The 35-year-old's recruitment means all 24 places on the grid for the 2012 season have now been filled.

Karthikeyan took part in the first eight races of 2011 with the Madrid-based team before making way for young Red Bull prospect Daniel Ricciardo. He last raced at the inaugural Indian Grand Prix in October.

"It has taken a lot of hard work to make this happen but I am absolutely elated to feature on the 2012 grid with HRT F1 team," the former NASCAR racer said.

"I was pleased with our strong performance at the Indian Grand Prix, in front of my passionate home fans and I look forward to building on this result in 2012.

"I have been training hard since the end of 2011, ensuring I was ready for the rigors of F1 if an opportunity arose."

The 2012 Formula One season will begin with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on March 18.