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Liverpool defeats Cardiff in Cup final

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 09:41:38 GMT

LONDON -- Liverpool won its first trophy in six years Sunday, beating second-tier Cardiff 3-2 in a penalty shootout to capture the League Cup while Manchester United kept the Premier League title race bubbling with a last-gasp victory.

It was a bittersweet day for Liverpool captain Steve Gerrard, who collected the club's eighth League Cup title after cousin Anthony Gerrard missed the decisive penalty kick for Cardiff at Wembley Stadium.

"It's always cruel when it comes to penalties," Steven Gerrard said. "It was always going to be that one of us was sad and one celebrating. I've got mixed emotions. I'm delighted to win the cup for our supporters. But I feel for Anthony and Cardiff. It doesn't matter what I say to him -- he's going to be down. I'll be there for him."

The score was 1-1 after 90 minutes and 2-2 after extra time, with Cardiff defender Ben Turner taking the match to penalty kicks with a goal in the 118th minute.

"It's not a nice way to win a cup but we'll take it," said Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish, who delivered a trophy for the club's American owners 13 months after returning to one of England's most successful teams.

Ryan Giggs marked his 900th game for United by scoring a stoppage-time winner in a 2-1 win at Norwich. United is two points behind Manchester City.

Third-place Tottenham's title hopes were damaged after losing 5-2 to Arsenal. Tottenham is eight points behind United and seven ahead of Arsenal, which climbed back above Chelsea to fourth place by virtue of ihaving more goals.

Spain
BARCELONA, Spain -- Lionel Messi scored on a looping free kick in the 81st minute, giving Barcelona a 2-1 win at Atletico Madrid that kept the three-time defending Spanish league champions 10 points behind first-place Real Madrid.

Dani Alves scored for Barcelona in the 36th minute, but Radamel Falcao tied it in the 49th. Messi put Barcelona back ahead with his 43rd goal of the season, his 28th in the league. Barcelona won for the first time in three road games and sent Atletico to its first loss in 10 games under new coach Diego Simeone.

Cristiano Ronaldo gave Real Madrid a 1-0 win at Rayo Vallecano with a superb back-heeled goal in the 54th minute. Ronaldo leads the league with 29 goals and has 37 overall this season. Madrid has won nine straight road games in the league.

Jesus Navas set up one goal and scored another to give Sevilla a 2-1 win at third-place Valencia, which has won just once in eight games. Nilmar scored his first goal in five months to give Villarreal a 2-2 home draw with Athletic Bilbao.

Italy
MILAN -- Inter Milan lost for the seventh time in eight matches, 1-0 at Napoli as Ezequiel Lavezzi scored in the 59th minute. Napoli defender Salvatore Aronica was sent off in the 78th minute for a serious foul. Giampaolo Pazzini missed a good chance to tie the score in the 88th minute as Inter went scoreless for the fifth straight match in all competitions.

Lazio defeated Fiorentina 1-0 on Miroslav Klose's goal in the 36th minute. Udinese beat Bologna 3-1 to remain even with third-place Lazio. Antonio Di Natale put Udinese ahead in the 38th minute with a penalty kick, his league-leading 18th goal, and Dusan Basta made it 2-1 in the 57th. After Panagiotis Kone scored for Bologna in the 81st, Antonio Floro Flores restored Udinese's two-goal advantage three minutes later.

German Denis scored a hat trick as struggling Atalanta won 4-1 at home against fifth-place Roma, which finished with nine men. Atalanta is seven points above the relegation zone after Lecce beat Cagliari 2-1. Siena routed Palermo 4-1.

Germany
BERLIN -- Franck Ribery scored twice for Bayern Munich to beat Schalke 2-0 in the Bundesliga and stem talk of a crisis engulfing the club. Ribery put the home team ahead in the 36th minute. In the 55th minute, he combined with Thomas Mueller before firing a deflected shot beyond the helpless Timo Hildebrand.

Bayern started the day in third place and Schalke would have overtaken the Bavarians with a win. Before kickoff, Bayern President Franz Beckenbauer declared it "the most important game of the whole season."

Bayern remains four points behind leader Borussia Dortmund, which stretched its unbeaten run to 17 games with a 3-1 home win over Hannover.

Netherlands
AMSTERDAM -- American forward Jozy Altidore scored in the 26th and 58th minutes of AZ Alkmaar's 3-3 draw against Heerenveen. Following his second two-goal game in February, Altidore has nine league goals this season and 13 overall.

AZ Alkmaar is second with 46 points -- two behind PSV Eindhoven, which beat Feyenoord 3-2 thanks to Zakaria Labyad's winning goal in the 85th minute. Guyon Fernandez's two goals inside seven minutes gave Feyenoord hope before Labyad's late winner.

Luuk de Jong's 44th-minute goal secured a 1-0 win for FC Twente against FC Utrecht. Twente, which has a game in hand, is third with 45 points. Siem de Jong scored twice to lead Ajax over Excelsior Rotterdam 4-1.

France
PARIS -- Defending champion Lille missed the chance to close the gap on second place after giving up a goal late for a 1-1 tie at Rennes, and Marseille's 16-game unbeaten streak in all competitions ended with a 1-0 loss at Brest that damaged its bid for a Champions League place.

Lille looked set for a third straight 1-0 road win after Aurelien Chedjou's 40th-minute goal, but Mevlut Erding volleyed home a looping pass from Jean Armel Kana-Biyik in the 90th minute. Lille remains in third place, seven points behind Montpellier and six back of Paris Saint-Germain.

Brest scored against Marseille when defender Paul Baysse headed in a corner kick in the 17th minute. Marseille coach Didier Deschamps was angry his team was not awarded a penalty kick in the first minute, when defender Johan Martial appeared to foul Brazilian striker Brandao.

Toulouse rose to sixth by beating last-place Sochaux 2-0. Aymen Abdennour and Emmanuel Riviere scored a goal in each half. American forward Charlie Davies entered in the 78th minute, just his second appearance for Sochaux since recovering from severe injuries suffered in a 2009 car crash.

Scotland
GLASGOW, Scotland -- Rangers beat Inverness 4-1 to strengthen their hold on second place in the Scottish Premier league. Steven Davis, Sone Aluko and Andy Little scored first-half goals and Lee McCulloch added another in the second half for Rangers. The team was docked 10 points last week after going into a form of bankruptcy protection.

The victory allowed the defending champions to open a six-point cushion over third-place Motherwell, which lost 1-0 to Celtic on Saturday. First-place Celtic has a 20-point lead.

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini insists Carlos Tevez's return will boost club's title hopes

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 14:42:17 GMT

Tévez said in a statement released by City last night that he was "sincerely and unreservedly" sorry for his actions in taking an unauthorised three-month leave of absence from the club. The Argentine also withdrew his appeal against a fine of six weeks' wages. Tévez has not played for City since he was accused of refusing to warm up during the Champions League defeat at Bayern Munich on Sept 27. Mancini, at the time, said Tévez was "finished" at the club as a result and the dispute escalated when the player then flew to Argentina without permission on Nov 7. However, after an emphatic 4-0 defeat of Porto booked City's place in the last 16 of the Europa League, Mancini said Tévez would be available once he deems him match fit.

The Italian told ESPN: "One week after Munich I called him to my house and said, 'Carlos, apologise to everyone and it's finished'. "I have no problem. Tomorrow, I will meet him before training, after that, he can start to work with us. "I think he maybe needs two or three weeks to find form; after this he will be okay. He can play, like the other players.

Carlo (Carlos) knows the team very well but the team, in the last six or seven months, has played very well. They are top of the Premier League. "We know Carlo well, he's a top striker so it would be good to have him back, I think he can help us and do a good job in the next two months. "I think it is important if we have Carlo, Mario (Balotelli), Edin (Dzeko) and Sergio (Aguero) so it would be good for the team.
On the performance against Porto, Mancini continued: "We played a good game. Maybe 4-0 was too much but it was important we went into the second stage.

"Porto had lots of possession and it's not easy to play against them."The Italian was pleased to see David Pizarro come on and score his first goal for the club. "I know him very well, he was with me at Inter. He came on for 20 minutes, played very well and scored a goal. His experience can be very important for us," he said.

City captain Vincent Kompany believes he and his team-mates showed they can win the competition.
A first-minute goal from Sergio Aguero set City on their way to seal a 6-1 aggregate triumph, with late strikes from Edin Dzeko, David Silva and Pizarro inflicting further damage at the Etihad . Kompany added: "It was a great victory. I think today showed how serious we are about this competition. "Four-nil is a great result against the holders of the competition from last season. I didn't think we were at our best but we did exactly what we needed to

Aguero's early goal effectively killed off the tie, another valuable strike from the Argentinian who joined City last summer. "And this is his first season (at City) as well," Kompany said. "He is doing so many great things for the team."Pointing out the threat City possess, and the abundance of scoring opportunities they had tonight, Kompany added: "It just shows we always create chances. The strikers have a lot of fun up front. "It's good the end of the season is approaching, I don't think our team has ever been stronger."
Midfield general Yaya Toure said: "I think the game today was fantastic. "To score early was very important for us."

Liverpool FC striker Craig Bellamy won't celebrate if he scores in Carling Cup final against Cardiff

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 11:28:10 GMT

CRAIG BELLAMY will not celebrate if he scores for Liverpool FC against hometown club Cardiff City at Wembley on Sunday. And the Liverpool FC striker has claimed he won’t lose any sleep if Kenny Dalglish’s side fail to bring home the Carling Cup.

Bellamy, who played for Cardiff last season while on loan from Manchester City, admits to mixed emotions facing the npower Championship outfit. The 32-year-old missed last Sunday’s FA Cup romp against Brighton and Hove Albion with a back spasm but is expected to be available. Bellamy, though, has too much respect for his former club to go overboard should he find the target at the weekend.

“It will be strange situation as it’s the first time I’ve ever played against them,” said the Wales international. “It’s not something I’ve looked forward to doing, to be honest.

“My father’s a big Cardiff fan and it’s the club I used to go to when I was very young. “I set one ambition in my life to play for them, and I was able to do that. I fulfilled a dream playing there. “I certainly won’t celebrate if I score. I tried not to against Man City, I tried to hold myself back. Really I didn’t celebrate that much, but in the occasion and the moment you get a little bit carried away.

“I have no aspirations of celebrating. But I have to be on the pitch first and foremost before I think about scoring.”Of his fitness, Bellamy added: “It is fine. My back spasmed up after I came on against Manchester United a week and a bit ago, and it just got a little bit worse during the week instead of improving.

“The manager said ‘look, if you need an injection then get it done now because we have a lot of games coming up’. It’s such a busy period, so get it sorted just in case. I start training on Thursday, so I’m fine at the moment.”The much-travelled Bellamy has yet to win a major honour in England, with his only silverware the 2006 Community Shield won during his first spell at Liverpool.

And although on the brink of ending that drought, the experienced attacker is taking a relaxed approach to the prospect of missing out. Bellamy said: “Honestly, if I win, I win. If I don’t, I don’t. I will not lose one second of sleep over it. Not one.

“I have enjoyed my career, I’ve had a great career. Is my career defined by trophies? No. I’m very fortunate to play this game, I’ve achieved more than I set out to achieve.

“Off the top of my head, I don’t know where my Scottish Cup medal is. I don’t have a photo of the game anywhere in my house. I just set out to win every game I play in, and if I win trophies because of that then great. “I know people might not understand when I say that I’m not a failure if I don’t win trophies. Far from it.

“I’ve gone in with that attitude over the last few months and it’s amazing I’ve got through to a final straight away. I’m going to carry on that approach.”

Liverpool forward Andy Carroll admits that he’s only ‘getting going now’ at Anfield

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:50:16 GMT

Winning the Carling Cup this weekend would end an encouraging spell for the Liverpool striker as he seeks to prove he has a long-term future at Anfield.

Carroll (pictured) still has a lot to do to prevent a repeat of the suggestions that Liverpool tried to offload him in the transfer window, and it will take more than scoring against Championship opponents Cardiff City to silence the sceptics, but it will be a surprise if he is not in the starting line-up for the Carling Cup final at Wembley on Sunday. That underlines how much progress he has made since the New Year.

Carroll readily admits he was toiling in his Liverpool jersey. After 13 months, the acknowledgement that he has “just getting going” can be taken as either a refreshingly honest or a depressingly accurate appraisal of his Liverpool career.

“I feel like I am doing well and have just started to get going,” the 22 year-old said. “I am scoring goals and I am doing well in games now. It’s all starting to come together. This is the best I’ve felt since I have been here. “I feel fit and confident and it is showing in my performances. I’m getting around the pitch more and getting involved. It shows that I am happier and more confident.”

Carroll has scored twice in his past four games, played what many regarded his best match of the season against Spurs and helped Liverpool back into contention as a substitute in an otherwise miserable afternoon against Manchester United. The prospect of a cup win will extinguish some of the unfavourable memories since his arrival from the North East.

“I’ve never been to a cup final,” the striker said. “I can’t even remember anything about when Newcastle reached the cup finals. I’m just hoping we can win it now. We have been playing well the last couple of weeks and starting to put the performances in. It’s been nice to see Chelsea and Arsenal struggling a bit but we have got to make sure we put the performances in.”Should Liverpool beat Cardiff, it will be the first legitimate sign of progress under a new manager and regime at Anfield.

Chairman Tom Werner has confirmed that he, principal owner John W Henry and other members of Fenway Sports Group will attend. While supporters crave the sight of captain Steven Gerrard lifting a trophy for the first time in six years, the repercussions of a return to European football are equally important to preserve Liverpool’s prestige. Werner said Liverpool have made “good progress” this season. “I am thrilled that our team will be playing in the Carling Cup final,” Werner said. “I have never been to the new Wembley Stadium, and it will be a special day for our club.

“I know very well the importance of Wembley to Liverpool supporters. I have spoken to many of the players and Kenny too, all of whom know that next week’s match, as Steven Gerrard said, is ‘massive’. “We didn’t qualify for the Europa League this season, and all of our players want to play in international competition. We are aiming to play in the Champions League, but winning next week would guarantee a place in the Europa League.

“Kenny has said it himself: the quality of our squad has improved since last year. We are just a few points from fourth place and we are the only team in England with the possibility of playing in both the Carling Cup and FA Cup finals.

“We have played brilliantly at times, and at other times we haven’t been at our best, for example, playing too many draws at home. But I see good and steady progress.”Meanwhile, Liverpool have met local and national anti-racism campaigners to try to repair the damage of the Luis Suárez affair.

The club were last night urged to issue an apology to Patrice Evra by the Consortium of Liverpool and National Black and Minority Organisations. An open letter sent to the club accused Liverpool of “grossly mishandling” the incident.

However, an Anfield spokesman said: “The club have met a number of key national and local stakeholders on this issue. We are also working with Sporting Equals, an independent UK-wide charity and one of the leading experts on equality and diversity in sport. We are committed to the fight against racism.”

Barcelona coach Guardiola: We do not deserve to be 10 points behind Real Madrid

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 13:06:23 GMT

The Catalans, who have won 13 titles since Guardiola took charge in 2008, fell behind to an early goal from Pablo Piatti at Camp Nou but came storming back to win courtesy of four goals from Lionel Messi and one from Xavi.

Guardiola insisted after the game that this current Barca squad, who travelled to Japan in December to claim the Club World Cup, had again underlined why some pundits believe them to be the best side ever assembled.

“We played very well this evening," the former Spain international told reporters after the game. "We’re very happy with how things have gone and how we’ve played. “We’re happy to have entertained the crowd. We’re happy that plenty of people have come to see us; let’s hope that they enjoyed it.

“I always think that we’re really lucky to have this generation of players. It’s a privilege to be able to enjoy them because they’re fantastic lads. “We’re 10 points behind but, honestly, I don’t think we deserve to be 10 points behind the way we’ve played this season.

"There are many things that have happened that have resulted in us being this far behind and it will be difficult to make up those points. "But we have to try during the three months that are left to come back and we have to try to compete - like we did today."

Guardiola added that he believes it is his players' drive and desire which sets them apart from the majority of their rivals. “I know that in sport you have to test yourself every day; every moment," he mused. "And I don’t think there’s a greater example of that than these players.

"How many teams have won things and then not been able to follow it up the following season?

"It’s not the case for these lads. They’ve done it time and time again. And they’ve done it in style. "I think that they’re a credit to the sport and I think we’re really lucky to be around at the same time as them and to be able to enjoy them on a daily basis.”Barcelona return to La Liga action against Atletico Madrid at the Vicente Calderon next weekend.

Liverpool striker Luis Suárez could be a summer target for wealthy French club Paris St-Germain

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 10:20:29 GMT

While Liverpool are anxious for Suárez to rebuild his career and reputation on Merseyside, they are realising the after effects of a fraught period are not easily shaken off. Suárez’s friend and Uruguay team-mate, Diego Lugano – who plays for PSG – has inflamed the situation further by insisting the striker was a ‘victim’ of the Patrice Evra affair and it ‘took balls’ to refuse to shake hands with the Frenchman.

That followed claims in the French media suggesting PSG have already made an approach to the striker’s representatives. Liverpool are certainly not entertaining entering any such negotiations, but know PSG incredible wealth could lead to a huge offer at the end of the season. Dalglish, like the rest of Merseyside, is desperate for the saga to come to end.

“I can only reiterate what we have said already. We have drawn a line under what happened and we just want Luis to concentrate on his football,” he said. There has never been any suggestion Liverpool have decided to sell Suárez as a result of the latest indiscretion. What is certain, however, is Suárez is continuing under a cloud and there are various factors which will be considered between now and May to establish if his Anfield career can last.

Primarily, there is the issue of his future conduct and whether he can stay out of trouble and avoid bringing Liverpool’s name into further disrepute. Liverpool hope Sunday’s statements is the last they’ll need to say about a torrid affair, but they will be fearful the season’s events will continue to shadow them. They were not exactly helped yesterday when Lugano perpetuated the view the striker is the one who should feel most aggrieved.

“He [Suárez] has gone through a few months he did not deserve,” Lugano said on his official website.
“Many false moralists and hypocrites have profited and Luis is the only innocent party in this situation,” said Lugano. "You have to have balls to do what Luis did on Saturday. He followed his principles.
"We live in a democracy and if you do not want to greet someone, you do not do it. And less so if that person has made you experience bad moments. Everyone in football knows it is a big circus.

"Take into account that England is historically a colonial country and racism is a sensitive subject, but we all know it has nothing to do with what happened between Luis and the Manchester United player [Evra].
“It’s a football argument, and many false moralists and hypocrites have profited, and Luis is the only innocent party in this situation.”Suárez received another unlikely ally in Jose Mujica, the president of Uruguay, who claimed the striker “is not a racist and never will be”.

Mujica said: “There is solidarity with Suárez. Suarez is not a racist and never will be.”In a separate interview he added that the case had been “exaggerated”. “There is nothing racist,” said Mujica, adding that “some do not understand” Suarez and did not study “diplomatic protocol”.

Mujica added: “He’s a young genius on the football field, [and] humble.”Such comments may be welcome by Suárez and those who continue to insist he is the wounded party, but they do not assist Liverpool who are still trying to repair the damage of a traumatic few months, culminating in Sunday’s unprecedented sequence of apologies. Every time such arguments are put forward on behalf of Suárez, whether he agrees with them or not, it will impact on his club.

Another consideration is the view of the Liverpool hierarchy should they receive a massive offer for the player this summer. Suárez’s value has at least doubled since Liverpool paid £23 million to Ajax in January 2011, and they would be forced to weigh up whether it made more sense to cash in if they were worried the controversies would keep recurring.

Such a decision, however, could only be taken at the end of the season. Finally, there is the perspective of player himself. Putting aside the disputes, Suárez craves a return to Champions League football. He may yet achieve that with Liverpool given they remain only four points off fourth position. If they fail to do so, Suárez’s anger at the English football authorities could be secondary to his frustration at missing out on rejoining the European elite.

All these variables mean that although there is evidently a will to see Suárez redeem himself and stay on Merseyside — Liverpool supporters are certain to rally around him when he faces Brighton in the FA Cup on Sunday — no one can state with any absolute authority his future is certain. Liverpool hope having learned his lessons, he will inspire the club to cup glory, back into the Champions League and create the circumstances under which he can enjoy a long, prosperous career at Anfield. That rosy picture is a long way from completion at this moment in time and it is inevitable top clubs will be hovering and monitoring the situation in the meantime, with PSG unlikely to be the only wealthy side interested in a world class player.

Barcelona's Javier Mascherano refusing to look beyond Bayer Leverkusen in Champions League

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 10:57:12 GMT

Alexis Sanchez opened the scoring just before the interval at the BayArena and although Michal Kadlec drew the spirited home side level early in the second half, the Chile winger posted a swift reply to put the Catalans back in front before Lionel Messi secured an imposing first-leg lead for the visitors.

In light of Barca's impressive home form this season, the tie appears to be over already, but Mascherano does not see it that way. "It's a very good result but we have to play the return match against a rival German team that never gives up," the Argentine told reporters after the game.

When asked to evaluate the respective merits of Barca's potential quarter-final opponents, Mascherano responded: "No, the most dangerous rival is Bayer Leverkusen, the team that we have to face again.

"If we progress to the quarters, then we'll see what team we play. But the most dangerous opponent for us now is still Bayer Leverkusen."In the absence of Gerard Pique, the versatile Mascherano was again utilised as a centre-back at the BayArena and the former Liverpool midfielder insists he has no issue playing there.

"I just prefer to play, although lately I've played more defence," he admitted. After their triumph in Germany, Mascherano and Barca now turn their attention back to La Liga and they will be hoping to close the gap on leaders Real Madrid when they host third-placed Valencia on Sunday.

Liverpool deny sponsor pressure over Suarez

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 10:34:47 GMT

LIVERPOOL: Liverpool denied Tuesday reports they'd apologised for Luis Suarez's conduct at Old Trafford as a result of pressure from shirt sponsors Standard Chartered bank.

Uruguay striker Suarez sparked fresh uproar last weekend when he refused to shake the hand of Manchester United's Patrice Evra, having only recently returned from an eight-game ban for racially abusing the French defender.

Liverpool subsequently apologised for Suarez's conduct but, having steadfastly supported their forward up until that point, there were suspicions they had been pressured into taking action by Standard Chartered, who are currently half-way through a four-year deal worth £81 million ($128 million).

However, Liverpool insisted Tuesday that managing director Ian Ayre and manager Kenny Dalglish had not been prompted by anyone from outside Anfield. "Ian Ayre kept Standard Chartered fully informed of developments over the course of the weekend," said a Liverpool statement. "The actions the club decided to take on Sunday were supported by Standard Chartered."

A Standard Chartered statement Sunday said: "We were very disappointed by Saturday's incident and have discussed our concerns with the club."It has been suggested the club's American-based owners, Fenway Sports Group, only became fully aware of the severity of the Suarez situation when reports appeared in the US press.

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson branded Suarez's conduct ahead of Liverpool's 2-1 defeat on Saturday a disgrace, while Professional Footballers' Association chief Gordon Taylor called the Liverpool star's actions "disrespectful, inappropriate and embarrassing".

Suarez finally showed some contrition in a statement expressing his regret for his actions. "I have spoken with the manager (Kenny Dalglish) since the game at Old Trafford and I realise I got things wrong," Suarez said Sunday on Liverpool's official website.

"I've not only let him down, but also the club and what it stands for and I'm sorry. I made a mistake and I regret what happened. "I should have shaken Patrice Evra's hand before the game and I want to apologise for my actions.

Ayre added: "We are extremely disappointed Luis Suarez did not shake hands with Patrice Evra before yesterday's (Saturday's) game. The player had told us beforehand that he would, but then chose not to do so," Ayre said.

"He was wrong to mislead us and wrong not to offer his hand to Patrice Evra. "He has not only let himself down, but also Kenny Dalglish, his team-mates and the club. It has been made absolutely clear to Luis Suarez that his behaviour was not acceptable."

And, later on Sunday, Dalglish said: "Ian Ayre has made the club's position absolutely clear and it is right that Luis Suarez has now apologised for what happened at Old Trafford. "To be honest, I was shocked to hear that the player had not shaken hands having been told earlier in the week that he would do."

Liverpool fumes after Luis Suarez deal

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 10:38:54 GMT

The English Premier league giant has revealed the Uruguay striker had guaranteed he would shake hands with Manchester United defender Patrice Evra before Saturday's clash at Old Trafford.

VIDEO: Suarez says sorry, but Liverpool upset

Suarez apologised overnight for his failure to acknowledge Evra's hand during the traditional pre-match greeting as he came face to face with United's captain for the first time since being given an eight-match ban for racially abusing the Frenchman at Anfield in October.

But Suarez's actions clearly infuriated Liverpool managing director Ian Ayre after Reds manager Kenny Dalglish and club officials were widely criticised for refusing to publicly condemn their player's behaviour.

Ayre insists Suarez had told them he would shake hands with Evra, only to change his mind on the pitch, and he revealed the club have given the forward a strong reminder of his responsibility not to damage Liverpool's reputation.“We are extremely disappointed Luis Suarez did not shake hands with Patrice Evra before yesterday's game. The player had told us beforehand that he would, but then chose not to do so,” Ayre said on Liverpool's official website.

“He was wrong to mislead us and wrong not to offer his hand to Patrice Evra.

“He has not only let himself down, but also Kenny Dalglish, his team-mates and the club.

“It has been made absolutely clear to Luis Suarez that his behaviour was not acceptable.

“Luis Suarez has now apologised for his actions which was the right thing to do. However, all of us have a duty to behave in a responsible manner and we hope that he now understands what is expected of anyone representing Liverpool Football Club.”

United boss had Sir Alex Ferguson branded Suarez a disgrace, while Professional Footballers' Association chief Gordon Taylor called the Liverpool star's actions “disrespectful, inappropriate and embarrassing”.

Suarez finally showed some contrition in a statement expressing his regret for his actions, but that couldn't prevent Liverpool going public with their anger. “I have spoken with the manager (Kenny Dalglish) since the game at Old Trafford and I realise I got things wrong,” Suarez said on Liverpool's official website.

“I've not only let him down, but also the club and what it stands for and I'm sorry. I made a mistake and I regret what happened. “I should have shaken Patrice Evra's hand before the game and I want to apologise for my actions. “I would like to put this whole issue behind me and concentrate on playing football.”

Suarez's actions lit the fuse on an always volatile fixture and police and stewards were reportedly called into the tunnel area to calm the situation after Evra tried to confront his rival at halftime, sparking heated scenes between several players.

Suarez scored in the 80th minute with Liverpool trailing 2-0, but United held on to win and Evra embarked on a wild post-match celebration that saw him appear to taunt the South American by celebrating right next to him.

Dalglish also came in for heavy criticism after reacting angrily to questions about Suarez during a post-match television interview. Dalglish apologised for his conduct during the Sky Sports interview, insisting he was not aware at the time that Suarez had not shaken hands with Evra as he had been assured by the player that a handshake would take place.

United responded to the succession of apologies pouring out of Anfield by accepting their rivals' attempt at damage limitation.

Lionel Messi and Xavi see off Valencia to seal Barcelona final place

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:35:36 GMT

The figure just keeps on rising. Barcelona reached the Copa del Rey final with a 2-0 victory over Valencia at the Camp Nou – their third Spanish Cup final in four seasons under Pep Guardiola. It is their 12th final overall. And although there were occasional nerves and Valencia had chances and were not finally defeated until Xavi Hernández's goal 15 minutes from the end, ultimately Barcelona progressed smoothly 2-0 on the night and 3-1 on aggregate. "We played against the best team in the world," said Unai Emery.

The best player, too. He was denied a goal of his own, but Leo Messi added a new, as yet rarely seen weapon to his arsenal to give Barcelona the lead after 15 minutes. A 40-yard pass from just inside his own half to just outside the Valencia penalty area swung perfectly into the path of Cesc Fábregas, dashing into the space behind the Valencia defence. The ball bounced up and through and, with Diego Alves doubting whether to advance or retreat, Fábregas eased it over him and into the net. The game was quarter of an hour old; it was different now too.

Valencia had started brightly, pushing the home side back, but Barcelona had taken the lead with their first shot. Messi was soon doing something more familiar, robbing the ball from Adil Rami and sprinting through the middle. His shot came back off Alves and Isaac Cuenca put the rebound wide. Then his low shot from a free-kick was pushed away by Alves. The free-kick had come after Barcelona worked the ball out of the tightest of midfield corners, Xavi, Messi, and Thiago Alcântara ping-ping-pinging their way to freedom.

The control was absolute. To coin a Spanish phrase, Barcelona played sin prisa pero sin pausa: with no haste, but with no letup either. They did not so much pour forward looking for goals as slip into chances. Alexis Sánchez and Fábregas, twice, had opportunities. When Sofiane Feghouli chased down Gerard Piqué only for Barcelona to work the ball beyond him, he turned to his team-mates as I to say: "What am I supposed to do?" He spoke for them all.

The good news for Valencia was that Barcelona had only got one. Even in the first leg of this tie, which finished 1-1, they had opportunities to secure their passage and here there was a repeat of that. The risk always remains and in the first minute of the second half Barcelona were grateful to José Pinto for a save from Jordi Alba. When the cross was swung back in from the left, he saved again – this time from Aritz Aduriz.

Possession was Barcelona's, most of the chances too, but there was more intent about Valencia now: the hint of a threat felt more real than it had before. Javier Mascherano headed away Aduriz's lob over Pinto, Carles Puyol leapt acrobatically to stop Alba sprinting on to another ball and Eric Abidal was alert to get ahead of Feghouli. From the corner, Pinto pushed over Jonas's rising shot. The feeling was fleeting, though: Barcelona continued to have the better opportunities. Messi's face after one shot slipped wide spoke of disbelief.

Soon after, Feghouli caught Puyol in the face as he closed the defender down and received his second yellow. "The decision," conceded Emery, "was right." The task had become harder yet. There was a chance for Aduriz, but he slipped, and almost immediately Xavi ended it. Messi found Sanchéz on the left. He resisted the challenge from Jérémy Mathieu, turned and laid the ball into the path of Fábregas who opened out his body to help it a little further on its way. Xavi hit the ball hard and true into the top corner. Think Shearer against Holland in 1996. Think another final for Barcelona. Twelve and counting.