John Terry: Chelsea captain extends contract with club

• Chelsea captain John Terry has extended his contract at the club until the end of the 2015-16 season.

• The 34-year-old, whose previous deal ran out at the end of the current campaign, has made over 550 appearances for the Premier League leaders.

• Chelsea have a six-point advantage with a game in hand on their rivals and boss Jose Mourinho said: "This new contract is not to say 'thank you very much'.

• "It is because John continues to perform. He is a top defender."

• Mourinho recently said he could "guarantee" Terry would be offered a new deal, which is in line with Chelsea's policy of offering those over the age of 30 only one-year deals.

• Terry has won 13 major honours with the Stamford Bridge club since making his debut in 1998, winning the Champions League, Europa League, three Premier League titles, five FA Cup trophies and three League Cup victories.

• He captained Chelsea to two top-flight titles in Mourinho's first spell at Chelsea but was not always selected by interim boss Rafael Benitez during an injury-troubled 2012-13 season.

• "I am happy that he completely deserves this new contract after a season where he has already played 40 matches," added Mourinho.

• He skippered the Blues to a 2-0 victory over Spurs in the Capital One Cup final earlier this month, but they were knocked out of the Champions League by Paris St-Germain and the FA Cup by League One Bradford.

Thanks :BBC

Premier League clubs have agreed to share at least £1bn of their record UK TV

• Premier League clubs have agreed to share at least £1bn of their record UK TV rights deal with lower league sides and grassroots football.
• The clubs have also agreed to pay all full-time staff the living wage by the start of the 2016-17 season.

• The Premier League sold the live TV rights for £5.136bn to Sky and BT for three years from 2016.

• Donations have risen 40% from £700m, despite the TV rights going up by 70% from £3bn.

• The amount agreed at a meeting of the Premier League clubs on Thursday is dependent on a regulatory challenge from Ofcom and income from international TV rights sales.

• In addition to providing parachute payments to relegated teams, the member clubs agreed to invest in five key areas:

• Grassroots facilities

• Participation

• Fan engagement and match day experience

• Solidarity with lower leagues

• Supporting disadvantaged groups

• The move comes on the same day the Football Supporters' Federation protested for the Premier League to share its TV wealth, but no definite agreement was made further than a broad pledge to help match-going fans.

• All full-time staff at Premier League clubs will be paid the living wage, which is based on the amount an individual needs to earn to cover the basic costs of living.

• The living wage is currently set at £9.15 an hour in London and £7.85 an hour in the rest of the UK.

• Rhys Moore, of the Living Wage Foundation, said: "It is definitely a move in the right direction. However, the vast majority of low-paid work in the Premier League is with sub-contractors.

• "This commitment doesn't address that, which is why we think living wage accreditation is so important. The commitment Chelsea made to become the only accredited living wage employer in the Premier League goes so much further than this.

Brazil recorded their seventh successive victory

• Varane heads hosts France ahead in the first half

• Neymar scores eighth goal in seven games as Brazil win

• France lose for the first time since the 2014 World Cup

• Dunga unbeaten since taking charge of Brazil in July

• Brazil recorded their seventh successive victory since their 2014 World Cup humiliation as they came from behind to beat France in Paris.

• Raphael Varane powerfully headed in Mathieu Valbuena's left-wing corner to put the French ahead.

• But Oscar equalised when he linked up with Roberto Firmino and poked the ball past France goalkeeper Steve Mandanda.

• Neymar made it 2-1 as he collected Willian's pass and shot past Mandanda before Luiz Gustavo headed in a third.

• The victory maintains Dunga's 100% record since he took charge of Brazil for a second time in July.

• He is helping to restore some pride to Brazilian football after the side suffered their heaviest ever World Cup defeat when they were thrashed 7-1 by Germany in the World Cup semi-final in Belo Horizonte.

• Luiz Felipe Scolari resigned as coach after the tournament, which also saw Brazil lose 3-0 against the Netherlands in the third-fourth play-off.

• Only two of the first XI from that Germany defeat started in Paris and Dunga will be pleased with their fightback after they fell behind to Varane's 21st-minute header.

• Chelsea midfielder Oscar equalised before Neymar put the South Americans ahead with his eighth goal in seven internationals.

From Danilo to Alexandre Lacazette: youngsters to watch this international week

• With the international break upon us, Tor-Kristian Karlsen picks 12 players under the age of 23 who are likely to become stars for their national teams in the next few years

• Enes Unal (Turkey, 17, Bursaspor)
• A surprise inclusion by the Turkey manager. Fathi Terim, Unal is still to start a league match this season. The centre-forward was picked on his performances for the U19s and U21s as well as on pure potential. He is no stranger to scouts, as this two-footed, physically imposing front man has broken goalscoring records at academy level and is widely seen as the most talented No9 to come out of Turkey since Hakan Sukur.
• 
  
• Hakan Calhanoglu (Turkey, 21, Bayer Leverkusen)
• From scoring the winner in the first leg of the Champions League knock-out tie against Atlético Madrid to firing a penalty into orbit in the shoot-out of the return leg last week, it has been a rollercoaster spell for the Germany-born attacking midfielder, crowned by his return to playing for his country following a brief but controversial absence. The elegant, high-scoring midfielder is of the quality that Turkey have desperately missed since the wonderful generation that reached the World Cup semi-final in 2002.

                  Danilo (Brazil, 22, FC Porto)

• Friendlies against high-quality opposition such as France and Chile will offer top European clubs an opportunity to assess the Porto right-back before the summer transfer window. Dani Alves’s Seleçao successor is said to be wanted by Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester United, meaning Porto are once again likely to cash in heavily on a South American import. Impressive going forward, excellent in the air and equipped with tremendous physical attributes, Danilo – who still has room for improvement – is already considered as one of the best in his position.
• 
  
• Alen Halilovic (Croatia, 18, Barcelona B)
  
  
• While Sunday’s el clásico featured one sublime Croatian playmaker per side, the 18-year-old, who signed for Barcelona from Dinamo Zagreb last summer, also has the ability to one day dictate the proceedings of the biggest game in the world. Perhaps closer to Luka Modric than Ivan Rakitic in terms of playing style, Halilovic is blessed with the same intelligence, vision, balance and magic ball control that make his two countrymen stand out at the very highest level.
• 
  
• Silvan Widmer (Switzerland, 22, Udinese)
• Not only is the defender emerging as the eventual long-term replacement for Stephan Lichtsteiner at right-back, but the robust, tireless runner is also becoming a hot property on the transfer market. With quality right-backs hard to find, Premier League as well as Bundesliga clubs are keeping a careful eye on the attacking minded Swiss, who has also featured as a wing-back in Serie A this season.
• 
  
• Alexandre Lacazette (France, 23, Lyon)
• Immense in Ligue 1, though still to find the net for his country, the Lyon forward is currently just about the most sought-after name in European football. Without the opportunity to show his quality in the Champions League, a good run for France may convince the big guns to trigger a bidding war for the opportunistic, quick striker in the summer. In terms of his playing style – full of movement and clever runs – he provides an excellent complement to Karim Benzema and Olivier Giroud in the France squad.

• Yannick Ferreira-Carrasco (Belgium, 21, AS Monaco)
• Another product of what seems an endless line of first-class Belgian talent, the Monaco forward has taken every challenge in his stride since marking his club debut with a wonderful free-kick goal in 2012. If given the chance, he will be hoping to make a similar impact on his debut for his country. An unpredictable second striker or winger, he is hard to read and exceptionally quick with the ball at his feet.
• 
  
• Davy Klaassen (Holland, 22, Ajax)
• The supremely talented attacking midfielder is in line for his second cap after impressing for Ajax in domestic as well as European competition. With his silky touch, excellent finishing and wonderfully timed attacking runs, Klaassen very much fits the description of the archetypical Dutch midfielder. Likely to follow manager Frank de Boer to wherever he might move next.
• 
  
• Havard Nielsen (Norway, 21, Eintracht Braunschweig)
• While the 16-year-old Real Madrid wonderkid Martin Odegaard – who is also in the squad to face Croatia – has been grabbing all the headlines, this versatile front man is turning into the most influential player of Norway’s Euro 2016 campaign. The left-footed forward, who is built like a centre-forward but has long favoured playing out wide, is still being monitored by Premier League clubs eager to observe whether he can make the final step in his progression to the very top level. With his finishing skills especially showing signs of improvement, there is every chance he can.
• 
  
• Rafael Borré (Colombia, 19, Deportivo Cali)
• The Colombian hotshot earned his first call-up to the senior side following an impressive South American Under-20 championship last month and by scoring six goals in four starts for Deportivo Cali since the restart of the league. A temperamental striker with a direct approach to his game, thanks to quick legs and equally quick thinking, he is good at finding and exploiting space behind opposing defences.

Jonathan Rodríguez (Uruguay, 21, Benfica)

• Just weeks after joining Benfica from Peñarol, the Uruguayan has made a huge impact playing for Benfica’s B team and is certain to soon assume a key role for the first team. Another trademark passionate South American forward whose rugged physique and determination to score goals make him a nightmare for opposing defenders, he is likely to be the next South American forward to be sold on from Benfica for huge profit.
• 
  
• Jürgen Damm (Mexico, 21, Pachuca)
• The Mexican-born winger with a German grandfather – he also possesses a German passport – earns his first A national team call-up for the friendly fixtures against Ecuador and Paraguay. Mexican fans have grown accustomed to the somewhat bemusing sight of such a tall wide player – who is still a bit unpolished tactically and physically – charging down the right-hand flank for Pachuca and will be hoping he can transfer his fine club form to the international scene.

http://www.theguardian.com/

Sebastian Vettel rejects Nico Rosberg’s invitation to visit Mercedes’s F1 garage

• 
  

• Sebastian Vettel has knocked back an invitation from Nico Rosberg to visit the Mercedes garage this weekend, fearing a PR stunt.

• 
  
• Ferrari’s Vettel and the Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg became involved in a spat during the post-Australian Grand Prix press conference. It resulted in Vettel suggesting Mercedes should open up their garage at the Sepang International Circuit for an inspection of their cars in the wake of a dominant display at Melbourne’s Albert Park.
• 
  
• Rosberg then invited Vettel, with the latter suggesting the debrief in the engineers’ room for his visit.
• 
  
• Now, however, such a plan has been knocked down as Vettel said: “When I was joking with Nico in the press conference the deal was the invite was for all the paddock. Now it seems the invite has shrunk to just me.
• 
  
• “Initially I think it was called off by Niki [Lauda, the Mercedes non-executive director) and Toto [Wolff, the Mercedes motorsport chief]. Now they’ve told [Rosberg] yes, so I think they are using it as a bit more of a PR thing rather than a proper invite, so the answer is no I won’t be going.”
• 
  
• Asked as to whether it was his decision or that of Ferrari, he said: “It wasn’t really discussed to be honest. Initially it was called off and then I think they tried to use it as ‘Ah yeah, we are so friendly and open to everyone’. Even if I went there, do you think they would really open up? That means I won’t go, because even if I go it’s all staged.”

Cricket World Cup semi-final: 'a home game for India' in Sydney

• Were the Swami Army a real army, their conquest of Driver Avenue would be complete, and the tricolour would be waving over the Brewongle stand.

• 
  

• The SCG has been washed blue for the evening. And it has been a noisy annexation.

• Fans gather at the Sydney Cricket Ground for Australia’s clash with India, but the thousands of Swami Army members are claiming the home crowd advantage

• Hours before the game begins, rapturous cheers erupt from the stadium just for 11 Indian men going for a lazy jog across the turf to warm up.

• 
  

• “This is going to be like a home game for us,” Ganesh Jaygan, bedecked in a blue Team India shirt, says in a broad Australian accent, momentarily confusing your correspondent.

• 
  

• India, he clarifies, is his team. “It’s where your heart goes, that’s who you have to support. It doesn’t matter your citizenship, it’s where your heart goes.”

• 
  

• He says the Australian team will feel the weight of expectation, and the pressure of a restless, relentless Indian crowd.

• 
  

• “It will feel like a home game. Seventy per cent of the crowd will be Indian.”

• 
  

• “Eighty per cent,” says Sudhi Prasad, an Indian who lives in Germany, and who has travelled from just outside Frankfurt to be in Sydney for the match. “Eighty-20 support for India.”

• 
  

• “Kohli is due for a big score,” he promises, “and Dhoni, this will be his last World Cup, he is a big game player.

•  Your correspondent was living in Delhi in 2011 when Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s imperious six lifted India back to the mantle of world champions.

• 
  

• Even as that ball was still sailing standwards, chaotic celebrations broke out across the country – a festival of fireworks and bhangara – that roiled with impossible energy.

• 
  

• For hours – all night and well into the next day – intersections in the capital 
• were impassable for the mass of humanity, chanting and cheering and alighting and singing.
• 
  
• Should India win, the celebrations in Sydney will be something to behold.
• 
  
• The party that follows a World Cup win is one India would be gladly repeat, but beyond that, this is a country, and a cricket team, with a position to defend.
• 
  
• The title of world champions is one its cricketers, and fans, are anxious to maintain.
• 
  
• Dozens of signs around the ground feature an image of the World Cup, and read beneath: “We won’t give it back”.
• 
  
• In geopolitical circles, it is fashionable to refer to India as an “emerging superpower”.

• In cricketing terms it has already well and truly arrived. Off-field, it is the dominant nation internationally, the country that controls and contorts the direction of the sport. The changes that have revolutionised the game in recent years have emerged from India, or only succeeded with its imprimatur.

• 
  

• The 11 men it sent onto the SCG on Thursday afternoon are seeking to cement that reputation on-field too.

• 
  

• Much is made by commentators from both countries about how much Australia and India share: a coincident national day, a Commonwealth heritage, a common language and, of course, this game, cricket.

• 
  

• But one thing they can’t share is a spot in the World Cup final.

• 
  

• Tonight, it can only be one.

http://www.theguardian.com/

Australia beat India by 95 runs to reach World Cup final – as it happened

• Right, that’s it from me. Thanks for your company, your tweets and your emails. Stick around on site for all the reports and reaction from the SCG. And join us again for the final from Melbourne on Sunday. But for now, cheerio.

• WICKET! Ashwin b Faulkner 5 (India 232-8)

• 
  

• The SCG begins to empty as India’s fans give up the ghost. Faulkner sends down three dots at Ashwin, then the fourth beats the bat and clatters into the stumps.

•  

Steve Smith century helps Australia crush India to reach World Cup final

• Steve Smith century helps Australia crush India to reach World Cup final
• • Australia 328-7; India 233 all out 
  • Steve Smith and bowlers star to seal 95-run World Cup victory 
  • Australia to face fellow co-hosts New Zealand in Sunday’s final 

• With blissful ease compared with their cousins across the Tasman Sea, Australia cruised into Sunday’s World Cup final in Melbourne.

• 
  

• A polished century by the man of the match Steve Smith, which was followed by a bowling performance that was both disciplined and hostile, was quite sufficient to defeat India by 95 runs, a huge margin at this stage of the tournament.

• 
  

• Smith coolly set about his business alongside Aaron Finch, enabling Australia to post 328 for 7, the highest score in a World Cup semi-final. It was too much for India, who were outgunned in almost every department. Australia could have scored more. Despite the early loss of David Warner, caught at mid-off from a leading edge, they were ominously placed at 155 for 1 after 30 overs. And one of their batsmen was out of nick.

• 
  

• Australia beat India by 95 runs to reach World Cup final – as it happened

• Over-by-over report: Australia reach the final thanks to Steve Smith’s century and some fine bowling

•  Read more

• It was something of a struggle for Finch, who has been barren since his century in Australia’s first match of the tournament against England. There was the occasional beefy stroke but for much of the time he appeared to be looking for the ball rather than watching it. His timing was often awry and he had never scored a slower half-century in ODI cricket (82 balls) than this. So Finch’s was a gutsy innings.

• 
  

• Fortunately for him Smith was near his impish best at the other end. He took Umesh Yadav for four fours in an over, mostly from crisp pull shots and he was on his way to becoming only the fifth man to score a century in a World Cup semi-final after Graham Gooch, Saeed Anwar, Sourav Ganguly and Mahela Jayawardene. Smith found the gaps on the leg-side with ease. He is a formidable player now.

• 
  

• Australia took the powerplay after 32 overs partly to interrupt an exceptional spell from Ravichandran Ashwin. Smith became one of several batsmen to fall to a bouncer, top-edging Yadav to deep square-leg. In came Glenn Maxwell and – surprise, surprise – the run rate rocketed. His presence seemed to galvanise Finch briefly. That powerplay yielded 64 runs.

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• 
  

• But the return of Ashwin briefly rescued the situation for India. First Maxwell swept the ball straight into the hands of Ajinkya Rahane, then Finch mis-pulled against Yadav. Two of Australia’s senior citizens, Shane Watson and Michael Clarke were at the crease and needed time to bed in. The innings stalled before Clarke was another to try to pull without success.

• 
  

• In the end Australia were indebted to James Faulkner (21 off 12 balls) and Mitchell Johnson (27 off nine) for their late-innings flurry. After the lull 57 runs came from the last five overs and there were smiles in the Australia dressing room again, smiles, which would give way to whoops of delight as Australia contemplated their World Cup final.

• 
  

• Only at the start of their reply did India’s batsmen give their fanatical supporters much to cheer about. Many of them had snatched flights from Mumbai on Wednesday before donning their blue shirts. Except for the final five overs when the match was decided they outnumbered the gold-clad supporters of Australia at the SCG, which provided the perfect amphitheatre – and a fair wicket – for the occasion.

• 
  

• There were early struggles for India. Rohit Sharma edged towards Watson at slip and a review was needed to decide whether the ball had carried. It had not. Then Shikhar Dhawan was dropped off Josh Hazlewood by a diving Brad Haddin.

• 
  

• Australian eyebrows were raised especially after Faulkner yielded 29 runs from his first two overs as Dhawan swished like D’Artagnan. After 12 overs India had advanced to 73 for 0.

• 
  

• Now Dhawan smeared a full-length ball from Hazlewood to Maxwell on the point boundary and the innings lost impetus.

• 
  

• Australia seized their chance; Clarke recalled his senior bowlers and they were fast and miserly. Virat Kohli looked tormented. After he had faced 12 balls for a single Johnson propelled another bouncer at him – without doubt there have been more bouncers bowled in this World Cup than ever before and they have produced a record haul of wickets. Kohli became one of those statistics. An attempted hook only sent the ball into the night sky and Haddin waited gleefully for its return to earth.

• 
  

• Then Sharma clubbed a six off Johnson to mid-wicket. But the next ball was fuller and faster; Sharma missed it and those bails lit up. Soon after Suresh Raina nibbled against Faulkner and the maths were now all against India. There was a 70-run partnership between Rahane and MS Dhoni, which ended bizarrely with a successful review for a thin edge to the keeper, which escaped the notice of Haddin, who is seldom reticent to make an enquiry.

• 
  

• India were travelling nowhere near fast enough and Australia were giving them nothing. Dhoni fought as hard as ever, biding his time and scuttling singles. But he could produce no fireworks unlike Maxwell who ran him out with a stunning direct hit from mid-wicket. The bowlers, with Mitchell Starc, Johnson and Hazlewood on top of their games, had been too good.

Fernando Alonso: McLaren driver to return for Malaysian GP

1. 
   
2. The double world champion missed the season opener in Australia on 15 March to recover from concussion suffered in an accident in pre-season testing.
3. McLaren said in a statement Alonso, 33, felt his steering go heavy before the crash, which is so far unexplained.
4. The team will fit the car with an extra sensor to gather data.
5. McLaren said the decision was made following Alonso's visit to the McLaren factory last week, when he drove the simulator and went over the data from the accident with the team's engineers.
6. "While there was nothing evident in the extensive car telemetry data, nor anything abnormal in the subsequent reconstructions and laboratory tests, Fernando recalls a sense of 'heavy' steering prior to the accident," McLaren said.
7. "Consequently, the team has fitted an additional sensor to the car, to increase our data capture.
8. "Fernando is very much looking forward to getting back into the car and making a substantial contribution to our collective efforts with Honda, to accelerate the required improvement to our on-track performance."
9. Alonso has decided to fly to Malaysia for the race following medical tests by three eminent doctors at Cambridge University on Sunday.
10. His manager would not confirm Alonso had passed the tests and McLaren made no reference to them in their statement.
11. However, the driver was given the all-clear and now faces only the official test by governing body the FIA's medical delegate and the Sepang circuit's chief medical officer before being allowed to race.
12. It is considered highly unlikely that he would fail these having passed the tests in Cambridge, which are also part of the FIA's programme for drivers returning from injury.
13. "Since his Barcelona testing accident, Fernando has followed a rigorous, specialised training programme, designed and closely monitored by leading sports scientists, to ensure his safe and timely return to racing," McLaren said.

Liverpool's Martin Skrtel charged over 'stamp' on David De Gea

                    Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel has been charged with violent 

         conduct over an alleged stamp on Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea.

1. 

 The incident happened in injury time during the Reds' 2-1 Premier League defeat at Anfield on Sunday.

The Slovakia international, 30, has to respond by 18:00 GMT on Tuesday and the offence carries a three-match ban.

Referee Martin Atkinson did not see the incident but three former officials agreed it was a sending-off offence.

The trio made the decision after reviewing footage of the incident.
Unless Skrtel successfully appeals he will be banned for Liverpool's Premier League matches at

Arsenal (4 April) and at home to Newcastle (April 13), plus the FA Cup quarter-final replay at Blackburn on 8 April.

Captain Steven Gerrard will also miss those matches after his red card 38 seconds after coming on as a half-time substitute in the same game.

Referee Martin Atkinson did not see the incident involving Skrtel and United keeper De Gea.

Daniel Sturridge: Injured England striker to miss Euro 2016 qualifier

Daniel Sturridge has been ruled out of England's Euro 2016 qualifier 

with Lithuania on Friday with a hip injury.

1. The Liverpool striker, 25, also misses the friendly against Italy in Turin on Tuesday, 31 March.
2. Sturridge sustained the problem during Liverpool's 2-1 Premier League defeat by Manchester United on Sunday.
3. 
   
4. His absence could pave the way for Tottenham's Harry Kane to make his debut at Wembley for the Group E leaders.
5. 
   
6. Sturridge's Liverpool team-mate Adam Lallana is out of the England squad after suffering a groin injury against Louis van Gaal's side.
7. 
   
8. Sturridge had been hoping to make his first England appearance since September when he played in the 1-0 friendly victory over Norway.
9. 
   
10. Since then, injury has forced him to miss all of England's Euro 2016 qualifiers - against Switzerland, San Marino, Estonia and Slovenia - as well as the friendly against Scotland.
11. The England medical team took the decision to rule him out on Monday evening, having assessed the striker following the squad's arrival at St. George's Park on Monday.
12. 
    
13. Sturridge scored the hosts' consolation against Manchester United at Anfield, but afterwards complained of discomfort in his hip.
14. Uncapped Kane, captain Wayne Rooney and Arsenal's Danny Welbeck are alternative forward options.

England lead qualifying Group E by six points thanks to a 100% record in their first four games.

The top two countries qualify automatically for the finals in France next summer.

1-2 Manchester United: Steven

Steven Gerrard was sent off 38 seconds after coming

 off the bench as a Juan Mata double gave Manchester United 

a 2-1 victory over Liverpool in a dramatic encounter at Anfield.

Mata fired the visitors in front early in the first half, before Gerrard came on at half-time and was almost immediately dismissed for a stamp on Ander Herrera.

United doubled their lead on the hour mark with a stunning acrobatic second from Mata before Daniel Sturridge pulled one back, and although Wayne Rooney had a penalty saved in the closing moments Louis van Gaal’s side held on to move within two points of second-placed Manchester City.

                                              Daniel Sturridge celebrates after making it 1-2.

Mata fired the visitors in front early in the first half, before Gerrard came on at half-time and was almost immediately dismissed for a stamp on Ander Herrera.

United doubled their lead on the hour mark with a stunning acrobatic second from Mata before Daniel Sturridge pulled one back, and although Wayne Rooney had a penalty saved in the closing moments Louis vanIt ended a run of 13 games unbeaten for Brendan Rodgers’ men, whose last defeat also came at the hands of United when they lost 3-0 at Old Trafford in December.

The result was a massive blow to Liverpool’s top-four hopes as they dropped five points behind their conquerors, who currently occupy the fourth Champions League spot.

It was the visitors who came out of the blocks quickest, and they kept the Anfield crowd quiet by dominating the possession in the opening stages.

United's pressure paid off in the 14th minute when Herrera's excellent pass found the run of Mata, who controlled the ball expertly and fired his shot low across Simon Mignolet and just inside the post. Gaal’s side held on to move within two points of second-placed Manchester City.

                                              Juan Mata celebrates after scoring his first

Liverpool were looking nervous and the constant United pressure on the ball meant they were often surrendering possession easily. But United could not press home their advantage and, after being outplayed for the first half an hour, the hosts finally found their feet in the game as Adam Lallana spurned a glorious chance to equalise.

Raheem Sterling set Jordan Henderson away down the right flank, and the midfielder fired an excellent early ball around the visitors’ defence for Sturridge. The striker had a chance to shoot but decided to lay off for the late run of Lallana, but his England team-mate could only drill his first-time effort wide of the target from 18 yards.

That chance brought the crowd into action and Liverpool started to enjoy more time inside the United half, but Van Gaal’s men nearly doubled their lead right before the break as Michael Carrick fired a speculative effort from 25 yards, nearly catching Mignolet out, but the goalkeeper managed to keep it out.

Steven Gerrard: Dismissed almost immediately after coming on at half-time

Dramatic red

Gerrard was introduced for Lallana at the break as Rodgers looked for some experience in midfield, but 38 seconds after coming on the captain was dismissed as, after flying into a challenge on Mata, he went in for another on Herrera and appeared to stamp down on the United midfielder, prompting a straight red from referee Martin Atkinson.

Liverpool's response was purposeful and Philippe Coutinho drilled a long-range effort just over the crossbar, but they soon found themselves further behind as Mata grabbed his second in the 59th minute.

The Spaniard squared the ball inside to substitute Angel Di Maria, who returned it with a delightful chipped pass which Mata drove past Mignolet with a spectacular acrobatic volley.

Liverpool managed to haul themselves back into the contest 10 minutes later, however, when Coutinho drove through the middle and found Sturridge, who drove the ball inside the near post aided by a deflection off Phil Jones.

Both sides enjoyed spells of possession as the game twisted and turned, with tempers flaring all over the pitch – substitute Mario Balotelli spared a second yellow card for an altercation with Chris Smalling after picking up an earlier booking for a challenge on Jones.

Juventus chief insists

Juventus general manager Giuseppe Marotta has insisted the Serie A champions

 have no need to sell Paul Pogba amid interest from Manchester United and Chelsea.

Paul Pogba: Midfielder has been linked with move away from Juventus

The 22-year-old Frenchman has become one of the most sought-after players in Europe, but Marotta dismissed talk that he is destined for a move away from Turin.

Chelsea and Man Utd have agan been linked with a move for the player, while Manchester City, PSG, Barcelona and Real Madrid have all, inevitably been linked with the midfield powerhouse.