Messi, Suarez and Neymar the best I've ever seen - Iniesta

Barcelona captain Andres Iniesta believes there has never been a more formidable trio than team-mates Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar.

Together, Barca's front three inspired Luis Enrique's men to a famous La Liga, Copa del Rey and Champions League triumph last season.

Barca remain well placed to repeat that success this time around with Suarez, Messi and Neymar as prolific as ever, contributing a combined 94 goals in all competitions this season.

And Iniesta hailed the impact of Barca's stars, claiming their partnership is better than the one enjoyed by Messi, Thierry Henry and Samuel Eto'o at Camp Nou.

"Without belittling Henry and Eto'o, for me Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez are the three best players I've ever seen," he told Movistar.

"Leo is the undisputed number one and there'll never be another player like him."

Barca have an eight-point lead over Atletico Madrid at the top of La Liga, are into the final of the Copa del Rey against Sevilla, and hold a 2-0 advantage over Arsenal in the Champions League last-16 first leg.

But Spain star Iniesta insists Barca are not taking anything for granted in their search more major honours.

"We still have the most difficult part ahead. We play every game from now until the end of the season as if it were the last game," he added. 

"I don't know why, but this is one of the seasons I'm enjoying the most. I hope we manage to win some titles.

"Tiredness doesn't matter. What really matters is having everything so close and achieving your objectives."

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Bender hopes to see Dortmund stars commit

Borussia Dortmund midfielder Sven Bender has reiterated his hope that the club can tie down their key performers to new contracts, a week after he agreed fresh terms.

Bender extended his contract until 2021 last week but Dortmund are yet to secure the long-term futures of Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Mats Hummels, Ilkay Gundogan and Marcel Schmelzer.

The quartet all see their contracts expire next year, with Bender stating after signing his new deal that he "would be glad if some of my other team-mates would follow in the coming weeks".

And speaking to Kicker on Monday, he added: "We didn't really discuss [my statement] in the dressing room.

"I just wanted to say that we are a totally committed bunch of guys, and it's a whole lot of fun. I hope that it was food for thought for one or two players to not give it up.

"I don't want to pressure anyone, but I would personally be delighted if a few would opt for Borussia in the end."

Bender has been with Dortmund since 2009, winning two Bundesliga titles and the DFB-Pokal under former coach Jurgen Klopp.

Dortmund are on course for Pokal and Europa League success under Klopp's successor Thomas Tuchel but trail league leaders Bayern Munich by eight points ahead of the sides' meeting at Signal Iduna Park on Saturday.

"Changes just for the sake of it don't automatically make sense," added Bender, who filled in at centre-back during Sunday's 3-1 win over Hoffenheim.

"I appreciate what I have here. As long as I feel trust, I will stay here. The club just fits me. BVB is just like me - down-to-earth. And it stands for solid and clear work."

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Bender hopes to see Dortmund stars commit

Borussia Dortmund midfielder Sven Bender has reiterated his hope that the club can tie down their key performers to new contracts, a week after he agreed fresh terms.

Bender extended his contract until 2021 last week but Dortmund are yet to secure the long-term futures of Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Mats Hummels, Ilkay Gundogan and Marcel Schmelzer.

The quartet all see their contracts expire next year, with Bender stating after signing his new deal that he "would be glad if some of my other team-mates would follow in the coming weeks".

And speaking to Kicker on Monday, he added: "We didn't really discuss [my statement] in the dressing room.

"I just wanted to say that we are a totally committed bunch of guys, and it's a whole lot of fun. I hope that it was food for thought for one or two players to not give it up.

"I don't want to pressure anyone, but I would personally be delighted if a few would opt for Borussia in the end."

Bender has been with Dortmund since 2009, winning two Bundesliga titles and the DFB-Pokal under former coach Jurgen Klopp.

Dortmund are on course for Pokal and Europa League success under Klopp's successor Thomas Tuchel but trail league leaders Bayern Munich by eight points ahead of the sides' meeting at Signal Iduna Park on Saturday.

"Changes just for the sake of it don't automatically make sense," added Bender, who filled in at centre-back during Sunday's 3-1 win over Hoffenheim.

"I appreciate what I have here. As long as I feel trust, I will stay here. The club just fits me. BVB is just like me - down-to-earth. And it stands for solid and clear work."

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Bender hopes to see Dortmund stars commit

Borussia Dortmund midfielder Sven Bender has reiterated his hope that the club can tie down their key performers to new contracts, a week after he agreed fresh terms.

Bender extended his contract until 2021 last week but Dortmund are yet to secure the long-term futures of Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Mats Hummels, Ilkay Gundogan and Marcel Schmelzer.

The quartet all see their contracts expire next year, with Bender stating after signing his new deal that he "would be glad if some of my other team-mates would follow in the coming weeks".

And speaking to Kicker on Monday, he added: "We didn't really discuss [my statement] in the dressing room.

"I just wanted to say that we are a totally committed bunch of guys, and it's a whole lot of fun. I hope that it was food for thought for one or two players to not give it up.

"I don't want to pressure anyone, but I would personally be delighted if a few would opt for Borussia in the end."

Bender has been with Dortmund since 2009, winning two Bundesliga titles and the DFB-Pokal under former coach Jurgen Klopp.

Dortmund are on course for Pokal and Europa League success under Klopp's successor Thomas Tuchel but trail league leaders Bayern Munich by eight points ahead of the sides' meeting at Signal Iduna Park on Saturday.

"Changes just for the sake of it don't automatically make sense," added Bender, who filled in at centre-back during Sunday's 3-1 win over Hoffenheim.

"I appreciate what I have here. As long as I feel trust, I will stay here. The club just fits me. BVB is just like me - down-to-earth. And it stands for solid and clear work."

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Real confirm hamstring injury for Benzema

Karim Benzema is set for a spell on the sidelines after Real Madrid confirmed the striker has sustained an injury to his right hamstring.

The France international was withdrawn at half-time of Real's 1-0 defeat to city rivals Atletico Madrid on Saturday and reports in Spain suggest he could miss between three and four weeks of action.

If that is the case Benzema will miss La Liga matches against Levante, Celta Vigo, Las Palmas and Sevilla, as well as the Champions League last-16 second-leg tie against Roma.

Benzema is now also facing a race against time to recover in time to face fierce rivals Barcelona in the Clasico on April 2 at Camp Nou.

A Real Madrid statement read: "After tests, Karim Benzema has been diagnosed with a muscle injury to his right hamstring. Pending Evolution."

Benzema returned to the fold to face Atletico having missed Real's previous Liga fixture against Malaga with a hip injury.

The former Lyon star has scored 19 La Liga goals this season, a return bettered only by Barca star Luis Suarez and Real team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo.

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Pato in line for Chelsea debut at Norwich

Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink says Alexandre Pato is fit enough to play a part against Norwich City in the Premier League on Tuesday.

The Brazilian has not featured since arriving on a six-month loan deal from Corinthians in January due to a lack of match fitness - his last competitive match coming for former loan club Sao Paulo in November.

But with Chelsea facing a hectic schedule over the next few weeks, Hiddink says the 26-year-old could debut at Carrow Road this week.

"He is eager and we now have the strikers where there is a healthy competition in a very good atmosphere," said the Dutchman, who acknowledged he could rest Diego Costa during the next few games.

"Diego is number one but the others have stepped up, I'm happy, for instance, with Bertrand Traore. Although he's a young guy, the others might have more status, but I'm not looking at that.

"At the moment to be fair to everyone, [the younger players] are a bit ahead [of Pato] at this moment because I like fair competition and fairness among themselves.

"But he and Remy are also in a position to compete. Pato is not ready for 90 minutes but he is able to play a part of the game. We consider also the chances for some of the younger guys.

"We'll see this afternoon what the damage is for the injured players."

Hiddink revealed Radamel Falcao and captain John Terry are both back in individual training after muscle injuries, while adding his confidence that Pato can make an impact before the end of the season.

"Let's hope so, in the near future," he added. "We have games coming up but like I said before it's best to have a loan in his situation.

"That way he can get used to us and the club can make a proper judgement on him in performances and training, then it's for mutual parties the best thing."

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360 Official: Loftus-Cheek agrees new Chelsea deal

Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek has signed a contract at Stamford Bridge that runs to 2021.

Guus Hiddink confirmed the club were in negotiations with the 20-year-old in January and he has now agreed a new five-year deal.

Loftus-Cheek has made nine appearances for Chelsea this season and scored his first career goal in the FA Cup win over Scunthorpe United last month.

"I'm delighted to sign a new contract at Chelsea and my focus is on working hard in training every day in order to push on and establish myself in the team," Loftus-Cheek told the club's official website.

"It really means a lot because this shows the club believe in me so I'm really happy.

"The club have done so much for me since I started here as an Under-8 and now I want to repay the faith they have shown in me with my performances on the pitch."

Chelsea also announced that 20-year-old Dion Conroy has also signed a new contract, with his deal running until 2018.

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Niang suffers ligament damage in car accident

AC Milan striker M'Baye Niang suffered ankle ligament damage and a bruised shoulder when he was involved in a car accident on Saturday.

The 21-year-old, who played for Milan in the 1-0 win over Torino earlier that day, is reportedly set to be out for around two months with the injuries.

Niang confirmed via his Twitter account that he and his driver were not hurt when the vehicle in question aquaplaned, with the club set to reveal a target for his return over the new few days.

"M'Baye Niang has sustained a capsular ligament injury in his left ankle and a bruised left shoulder following a road accident," read a Milan statement.

"His course of treatment will be decided in the coming days."

Niang has impressed since the turn of the year, scoring four times in all competitions to keep Milan on track in the Coppa Italia and in with a chance of European qualification in Serie A.

The former Caen striker wrote in a message on Twitter: "I wanted to tell you that me and my driver are in good health.

"The car was aquaplaning, we were more frightened than hurt. [I will be] ready for the end of the season with Milan."

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Pardew not fearing for his job at Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace boss Alan Pardew has no fears of being sacked, despite an alarming slump in form which has drawn them closer to the relegation battle.

Palace are without a win in 10 Premier League matches and have slid down to 14th place in the table, eight points clear of the bottom three.

They face second-bottom Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on Tuesday and Pardew concedes they are now in a battle against the drop, even if he does not think their slide should have him worried about his job.

"I don't fear for my job at this football club," Pardew said at his pre-match media conference.

"The pressure is to win games in the Premier League and it's the normal pressure of a manager at this level. I understand when results are not what they should be that the finger quite rightly turns to me.

"I should deliver victories for this team. I don't care how it comes. Of course I put that pressure on my players but you have to put a pressure on them that delivers the right kind of performance.

"Yes, of course we are [in a relegation fight]. We keep losing and there is no talk of Europe in this camp. The talk is focusing on what Crystal Palace needs to deliver in these next 10 games.

"If we are tired and stressful on Tuesday, we are not going to win. We need to have the balance of being committed to the game and a level of composure, which we showed in the second half at West Brom.

"We have a fantastic opportunity in the FA Cup which is great. That is running alongside the league form, which unfortunately has not been good enough for me, the fans and the players. We need to put it right straight away."

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Infantino: Russia and Qatar must deliver in 2018 and 2022

New FIFA president Gianni Infantino has dismissed the idea of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups being moved from Russia and Qatar respectively and called on tournament organisers to deliver "the best World Cups in history".

With the allocation of both tournaments under investigation by the FBI, there had been suggestions the bidding process could be re-opened to allow other countries the chance to stage football's showpiece event.

But Infantino, speaking on Monday during his first full working day in the job after winning Friday's election to succeed Sepp Blatter, has called for everyone to focus on ensuring the tournaments go without a hitch.

He told reporters in Zurich: "Concerning Qatar and Russia, the decisions were taken in 2010 by the executive committee, but since 2010 there has been speculation and allegations and noise.

"It's now necessary to organise the best World Cup in history in Russia in 2018 and in 2022 in Qatar."

In addition to Infantino's rise to power, FIFA also voted in a series of reforms on Friday in a bid to end the corruption which tainted the Blatter era.

One of them was the provision to reveal the salaries paid to senior officials, including Infantino.

The Swiss said the issue of his remuneration had not been discussed as yet.

When asked what he would be paid, he said: "I have no idea yet. I know you can't believe it but it's not (for the) money that I was candidate to become FIFA president.

"I have not discussed with anyone about my pay or what my pay will be. We will see."

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Leverkusen's Kampl breaks leg and will miss rest of the season

Bayer Leverkusen's hopes of clinching a Champions League spot have been dealt a major blow with the news midfielder Kevin Kampl will miss the remainder of the campaign with a broken leg.

Slovenia international Kampl was initially thought to have torn a calf muscle when he was taken off against former club Borussia Dortmund on February 21, but further tests revealed a broken left tibia.

The 25-year-old joined Leverkusen for a second time in August 2015 after a disappointing eight-month spell at Dortmund and has been one of the club's best performers this season.

Roger Schmidt's men are sixth in the Bundesliga, just a point behind fourth-placed Borussia Monchengladbach.

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Leicester lose Kante to hamstring injury

Claudio Ranieri has confirmed N'Golo Kante will miss Leicester City's next two Premier League fixtures due to a hamstring injury.

Kante has proved to be one of the bargains of the season since joining from Caen for a reported £5.6million fee in August, the midfielder an integral part of a Leicester side that has defied the odds to reach the top of the league.

The 24-year-old was withdrawn in the 70th minute of Saturday's last-gasp 1-0 victory over Norwich City and manager Ranieri expects the Frenchman to sit out the game at home to West Brom on Tuesday and the trip to Watford on Saturday.

"N'Golo Kante I think we'll lose for the next two matches," Ranieri said at a news conference ahead of Tuesday's clash at King Power Stadium.

"He has a little pain with his hamstring so I need to give him some rest."

The Italian is confident Andy King, who replaced Kante against Norwich, can step up in his team-mate's absence.

"We put King on and he plays very well with [Danny] Drinkwater. I'm very confident in him," he added.

Leicester needed an 89th-minute winner from Leonardo Ulloa to beat Norwich and they are two points clear of second-placed Tottenham with 11 matches to play.

But Ranieri is expecting another tough encounter against a West Brom side that lost 3-2 to Leicester in October's reverse fixture at The Hawthorns.

"We have to be patient and find a solution. The first match against West Brom was very difficult and they scored first," he said.

"Everybody knows us and we have to continue with our football, be intelligent and wait for the right moments.

"We know they counter well and are very dangerous at corners. They scored eight or nine goals from set plays. They are very dangerous."

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Schneiderlin sees signs of Martial in rampant Rashford

Marcus Rashford's magnificent early impact with Manchester United has reminded Morgan Schneiderlin of the start made by Anthony Martial at Old Trafford.

The 18-year-old striker scored twice on his debut in the Europa League last-32 second-leg victory over Midtjylland and followed that up with another double in his Premier League bow against Arsenal on Sunday.

Schneiderlin is yet to see too much of Rashford in training, but has likened his start to that of big-money signing Martial, who netted on his debut against Liverpool and scored four times in his opening four appearances.

"It is amazing for him," the former Southampton midfielder told MUTV about Rashford.

"He reminds me a bit of Anthony, the way that he started, scoring against Liverpool and against Southampton. It is the same for Marcus; he is a very good player.

"He didn't train [with the first team] many times, but when he did train we could see straight away that he had this quality. 

"He showed it again on Sunday and I hope he continues like that because he is an exciting prospect for the football club."

Schneiderlin was singled out by manager Louis van Gaal for praise after the Midtjylland win, and the Frenchman is content with his maiden season at United so far.

"I try to do my best," he added. "I had good spells before, in October and November and then I didn't play as much. But for me it's an honour to walk out, to keep going and of course now I feel a bit better. 

"It was a case of getting used to this. I'm feeling good and I need to carry on; hopefully I will carry on like this.

"You have to show that [desire] week in and week out, but even more so when we have a lot of injuries and a lot of young players that are not known. 

"Everyone wants to show that they deserve a place at Manchester United and everyone wants to fight for the badge."

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Garde losing sleep over Villa's plight

Remi Garde is losing sleep because of Aston Villa's plight at the bottom of the Premier League but has no intention of quitting.

Garde's side remain eight points from safety at the foot of the table, having suffered a 2-1 loss to Stoke City on Saturday.

The Frenchman has overseen just two league wins since taking over from Tim Sherwood in November and has acknowledged Villa lack quality in attack.

They host Everton at Villa Park on Tuesday and ahead of that fixture, Garde said: "I am not sleeping very well, as you can guess.

"I never relax, I am always watching football into the night. I am fully focused on that. I will try to analyse what I need to do, what I can change.

"There are so many aspects of the game - psychologically, tactically, physically, technically. I try to adapt what I saw in the game, when I watch the game again, of course, like every game.

"I try to do my best in my position but it is difficult. It's difficult, but no way do I intend to leave this job, this position.

"You have difficult situations in life and you have to cope. I'm strong enough to do so and this is not a question for me.

"I am focused on this and when that is not the case then I am no longer in football."

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Yaya Toure wants to work with Guardiola at City, says brother Kolo

Yaya Toure wants to work with Pep Guardiola at Manchester City next season despite reports to the contrary, according to the midfielder's brother Kolo.

Rumours have been rife that Yaya Toure will depart the Etihad Stadium since news broke this month that Bayern Munich coach Guardiola will replace Manuel Pellegrini at the end of the campaign.

The Ivory Coast star played under Guardiola at Barcelona, but he was sold to City by the Spaniard ahead of the 2010-11 campaign.

However, former City defender Kolo Toure - who was on the losing Liverpool side against his brother in Sunday's League Cup final - does not believe that necessarily means the end for his younger sibling in Manchester.

"Everybody wants to play for Pep," he is quoted as saying by the Manchester Evening News.

"He is a top manager. They know each other very well and I don't think it will be a problem if they keep working together.

"I guess Yaya wants to play for Pep but it depends on what he is thinking and what Pep is thinking.

"It is a difficult question. He is my younger brother but I leave him to take his decisions for his career."

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Clasico date confirmed: Barcelona versus Real Madrid on April 2

Barcelona and Real Madrid will meet in the second Clasico of the season on Saturday April 2 at Camp Nou.

La Liga has confirmed its schedule for matchday 31, with the two rivals to meet at 8.30pm local time.

The fixture comes immediately after the international break, during which Spain will play friendlies against Italy and Romania, and three days before the first scheduled Champions League quarter-finals.

Barca and Madrid are expected to progress to the last eight, having recorded 2-0 away wins in the first legs of their round-of-16 ties against Arsenal and Roma respectively.

In November's meeting at the Santiago Bernabeu, Barcelona ran out 4-0 winners in dominant display away from home that helped to bring about the end of Rafael Benitez's brief tenure as Madrid coach.

Luis Enrique's holders are top after 26 matches of the Liga season, 12 points clear of third-placed Madrid.

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Tottenham and Arsenal are title favourites - Ranieri

Claudio Ranieri believes Arsenal and Tottenham are favourites to win the Premier League despite his Leicester City side sitting two points clear at the top of the table.

Leicester required a late Leonardo Ulloa goal to see off Norwich City 1-0 on Saturday - a result that put the Foxes five points clear before that advantage was trimmed back following Tottenham's 2-1 defeat of Swansea City on Sunday.

Arsenal, beaten 3-2 by Manchester United as Spurs overcame the Welsh side, are third, five points adrift of top spot.

Although Leicester are in the box seat, Ranieri has played down his side's chances of lifting the trophy in May.

"I think Tottenham and Arsenal are the favourites," he told reporters ahead of the home game with West Brom on Tuesday. "Arsenal have the players who can do everything, they can win every match."

Ranieri also highlighted the importance of every member of the Leicester squad contributing over the final games of the season.

"It's important for players like Ulloa to come on and have an impact, but not just him, everyone is very involved," the Italian added.

"I don't just speak about the first XI, I speak about everyone, and they all must understand our philosophy.

"It was very good to have Jeff Schlupp back. He has a very powerful left foot, is very strong and can help us."

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Suarez: I would love Messi's left foot and Neymar's pace

Luis Suarez believes the contrasting qualities of himself, Lionel Messi and Neymar is the secret of their success as Barcelona's front three.

The trio fired Luis Enrique's team to a Liga, Copa del Rey and Champions League treble in 2014-15 - a feat they are on course to replicate this time around as Suarez enjoys a remarkably prolific season.

The 29-year-old has 41 goals in 39 appearances across all competitions for Barcelona this term and he retains deep admiration for Messi and Neymar.

"I'd love to have Messi's left foot, which is one-of-a-kind in the world, remarkable, and the pace and happiness of Neymar," he told EFE after collecting the Spanish news agency's award for last season's best Latin American player.

"We prioritise the group objective. None of us compete with the others, but each enjoy the moment. I feel content, happy, and I'm helping the team, which is key.

"All the players have a great relationship and it shows, we're always laughing amongst ourselves and hugging, not just the three of us.

"It's not about affection, it's about support. Nothing's planned, it all comes from the inside, and what we do is enjoy it, and if we are happy, we will enjoy it."

Barcelona are eight points clear of Atletico Madrid at the top of La Liga after Sunday's 2-1 win over Sevilla, who they face in May's Copa del Rey final.

They are in the driving seat in the Champions League last-16 tie against Arsenal, having won 2-0 at Emirates Stadium last week, and Suarez urged his contented team-mates to retain their focus as they look to make history.

"Now we have a nice advantage in the league, we're in the cup final, we know that winning the Champions League is more than difficult," he added.

"We will try to do the same again, to keep going, to make our mark on the club."

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Ranieri ready to take further risks

Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri is willing to continue taking risks in his team's bid for a dream Premier League title.

The Italian's decision to bring on Leonardo Ulloa for defender Daniel Amartey paid off against Norwich City on Saturday as the Argentinean scored a late winner.

Ranieri, whose men top the table by two points, said he would keep taking chances as Leicester's unlikely title challenge rolls on.

"I took a lot of risks against Norwich," he said.

"I said, 'In or out - it's not important now. One point is nothing, we have to win today'.

"You can lose but it's only one point less than a draw. The manager is hired for this reason, to take a risk.

"I expect more games like this, teams coming here with five defenders. There aren't any easy matches. Every match is a battle. Every match you can lose.

"The most important thing is we concentrated and we were focused and we will take that on to the next match now."

Leicester have matches against West Brom, Watford, Newcastle United and Crystal Palace in March as they look to hold off Tottenham and Arsenal.

Despite that, Ranieri is unwilling to be drawn on the title talk.

"I understand everyone asks will we win the title? I don't know," he said.

"Let me now get past the next four matches, then I might say something more. I can't tell you too much for another month."

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Barca vice-president Mestre slams Ronaldo comments

Barcelona vice-president Jordi Mestre has criticised Cristiano Ronaldo for blaming Real Madrid's La Liga woes on his team-mates, claiming none of the Catalan club's players would do the same.

Madrid slipped to a 1-0 defeat to city rivals Atletico on Saturday thanks to a second-half strike from Antoine Griezmann.

That result, combined with Barca's 2-1 win over Sevilla on Sunday, leaves Madrid in third place, 12 points adrift of Luis Enrique's leaders.

And Ronaldo was quick to point the finger at his colleagues following their loss at the Santiago Bernabeu, saying "if everyone was at my level, perhaps we would be first".

Ronaldo has since attempted to clarify his comments, insisting he was referring to the club's injury situation and not performances.

However, Mestre told Movistar: "Our team's players would never say what Cristiano said. The club monitors a lot of things before signing players.

"Honestly, I could not imagine one of our players saying what Cristiano said."

Asked about Barca's commanding eight-point lead over Atletico at the top, Mestre added: "La Liga is not won at the end of February. That's not a cliche, it's true because we could slip up and I'm sure Real Madrid will bounce back. There are no free meals here."

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Alba: At Barca no one thinks they're above anyone else

Jordi Alba does not believe anyone at Barcelona would criticise their team-mates in the same way Cristiano Ronaldo did at Real Madrid, describing Luis Enrique's men as a "band of brothers".

Portugal star Ronaldo drew headlines in the aftermath of Real's 1-0 La Liga defeat to city rivals Atletico Madrid on Saturday when he said "if everyone was at my level, perhaps we would be first".

Ronaldo later sought to clarify his comments by stating that his words were about Real's injury woes and not the performances of his team-mates.

"I didn't hear them [Ronaldo's criticisms], 2 the Spain full-back said. "With regard to Barca I can say we're like a band of brothers and no one thinks they're above anyone else. 

"There are individuals that make a difference, but we're a team."

Real's loss coupled with Barca's 2-1 win at home to Sevilla on Sunday means the gap between the two great rivals in the table is now 12 points.

However, Alba insists leaders Barca are not discounting the chances of third-placed Real in the fight for the title as there are still 12 matches to play.

"The gap is significant but it has to stay like that," he added. "I'm not counting Real Madrid out, they're a big team. 

"We're top and those behind us are going to make it difficult for us. We have a significant gap but they could give us a scare at any time."

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New investor Moshiri in love with Everton - Martinez

Roberto Martinez says Everton's new major shareholder Farhad Moshiri has fallen in love since completing his purchase and can take the club to the next level.

The Iranian businessman acquired a 49.9 per cent stake in the Premier League club on Saturday after a lengthy search for new investment at Goodison Park.

Everton said the arrival of Moshiri - a former shareholder in Arsenal - brought the "promise of new investment" and Martinez feels the 60-year-old understands the values of the club.

"It's really, really good news," Martinez told reporters. "I met Mr Moshiri and the impression I got was that he is a gentleman who has incredible values and knows the Premier League inside out, having been involved in another Premier League club.

"He knows how difficult it is to have a vision and put it into practice. Sometimes business people don't understand but this isn't the case.

"It's been a process, he's someone who has been introduced to Everton and followed the club closely. He's fallen in love with what Everton means.

"We have probably the perfect person for Everton. As a human and as a winner, Fahid is the perfect person to come into Everton.

Moshiri could be at Villa Park for Everton's clash with Aston Villa on Tuesday, although he is awaiting approval from the Premier League for his investment.

Martinez urged his side to end the season strongly, suggesting Moshiri's financial clout could enable Champions League qualification.

"We have to finish strongly because this is a big moment in our history," he added. "We have to finish well in order to benefit the new investor coming in.

"It is a wave of positive energy, it's a real feeling of momentum. When I started, our ambition at Everton was the Champions League places and becoming a winning team.

"That's a difficult aim to achieve and investment takes us to a different level in being able to get there.

"The new investor understands the history, he has fallen in love, and he is going to be a strong addition in bringing Everton to where we belong."

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Pellegrini defends Sterling after cup success

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini defended Raheem Sterling after the attacker's below-par showing in his side's League Cup final win over Liverpool.

Sterling struggled to make an impact against his former club at Wembley on Sunday, missing an excellent chance on the hour-mark.

But the 21-year-old still finished a winner as City claimed a 3-1 penalty shoot-out victory after the 1-1 draw through 120 minutes.

Pellegrini said it was difficult for Sterling to deal with facing the club he left in the off-season, but was delighted he had silverware to collect.

"I don't want to analyse individual performances but I understand how Raheem felt," he said.

"It's not easy just for Raheem as a very young player, it's not easy for every player with more experience to play against your former team and he has a lot of friends.

"But Raheem took a very important decision at the beginning of the season. He wanted to come here to win titles and I'm very happy for him that he won already.

"I think he will be a very important player for a lot of years, so he will continue winning a lot of titles also."

Another player Pellegrini was thrilled for was Joe Hart, who watched from the bench as goalkeeper Willy Caballero was the hero with three penalty saves.

The Chilean said the England international had shown his leadership qualities with his response to missing out on starting.

"I'm very happy also for Joe Hart because he demonstrated tonight that he's not only a very good player, a very good goalkeeper, he's also a very good person," Pellegrini said.

"He was also supporting and shouting before the game in the dressing room. I'm very proud about the squad that I manage."

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Pique's love for United rules out Pep reunion at City

Gerard Pique says his love for Manchester United makes a reunion with Pep Guardiola at Manchester City impossible.

Barca academy product Pique spent four years at Old Trafford before returning to Camp Nou in 2008 where he has enjoyed a trophy-laden eight years, including three La Liga titles, two Copa del Reys and two Champions League medals under the stewardship of Guardiola.

Guardiola has since gone on to enjoy further success with Bayern Munich, but he will take on a fresh challenge at the Etihad Stadium from next season.

However, Pique insists that a return to the Premier League with City is something he could never contemplate despite the respect he has for Guardiola.

"My love for [Manchester] United is too strong to go to City," he said on Periscope. "I don't see myself in their shirt even though Pep is a great coach."

Pique also scotched as suggestions that Barca team-mate Neymar could be tempted to join fierce rivals Real Madrid.

The Brazil captain is yet to commit his future to Barca and there have been rumours that Madrid, could launch an audacious bid to lure him to the Spanish capital.

But Pique said he is so confident Neymar will not move to the Santiago Bernabeu that he is willing to bet an "arm or a hand" the deal will not happen.

"I'd bet an arm or a hand that Ney will never join Madrid," he added. "He likes Barcelona very much, he's in love with the club and I think he'll stay here for many years."

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Ex-Bayern president Hoeness released from jail

Former Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness was released from prison on parole on Monday midway through a three-and-a-half-year sentence for tax evasion, the Bavarian Ministry of Justice has confirmed.

Hoeness was released the night before the scheduled February 29 date to spare the 64-year-old the attention of the media.

The 1974 World Cup-winner was convicted in March 2014 and sent to prison the following June having evaded EUR28.5million in taxes - a figure finally acknowledged by his legal team after Hoeness was initially charged with attempting to evade EUR3.5m.

It remains to be seen if he returns to Bayern and, if so, in what capacity.

Having made over 300 appearances as a player for the club, he served as sporting director for 30 years before assuming the role of president in 2009.

He has worked in Bayern's youth department since early 2015 on day release.

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Allardyce: Time is running out for Sunderland

Sunderland boss Sam Allardyce is aware his team are running out of time to secure their Premier League safety as they prepare to play Crystal Palace on Tuesday.

The weekend's 1-0 defeat at West Ham left them 19th in the table, one point adrift of Norwich City in 17th with only 11 matches left to play.

Allardyce feels Sunderland need five wins from those games at the very least and warned his players not to waste the opportunity to get one of those against an out-of-sorts Palace at the Stadium of Light.

"The pressure on Tuesday is immense now, it is whether we can cope with that, as well as being tactically astute enough not to let Crystal Palace play to their game plan," said Allardyce.

"We have to try to keep a clean sheet we desperately need and be clever enough to put the ball in the net. We have had so many opportunities where we could have drawn and lost. A few more points would have taken us out of the bottom three for a change!

"We gave a terrific performance against a Slaven Bilic team playing below-par, creating more chances and more shots on target. But when the final whistle blows it is the top line that counts and it was West Ham 1 Sunderland 0.

"We have to try to reverse that. We have to have our best run of season, five victories out of 11 minimum, that is 38 points, in the hope that 38 points will be enough again this year."

Palace are on a disastrous run of 10 Premier League games without a win, but Allardyce would much rather be in the shoes of opposite number Alan Pardew.

"I wouldn't mind being him now," he said of Pardew. "For years and years and years I have shown players at the start of season that the first eight to 10 games are the most important.

"It determines how much pressure you will put yourself under. If you have a brilliant start, get the points on the board, then when you go 10 without a win, you have just slipped into the bottom half for first time with just 11 games left.

"It shows what it means to have a great start. Mid-table teams can always have a run like that so to put it right in the first place by getting off to a good start then you are alright. I would sooner be in this position than mine."

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