Chelsea 4-3 (agg 5-3) Slavia Prague: Maurizio Sarri bemoans his side’s start to the second-half as Blues labour to Europa League semi-finals

Chelsea 4-3 (agg 5-3) Slavia Prague: Maurizio Sarri bemoans his side’s start to the second-half as Blues labour to Europa League semi-finals
Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri admitted his players made life difficult for themselves following their Europa League quarter-final triumph over Slavia Prague.The Blues won 4-3 at Stamford Bridge, going through 5-3 on aggregate in a contest that saw Sarri’s men race to a 3-0 lead after just 15 minutes.3

It was set to be a rout when Giroud’s finish put the Chelsea 3-0 up

But Chelsea have developed a nasty habit of conceding early in the second half and once again there were some hairy moments as the visitors hit back twice to trail by just one on the night.“We played very well in the first half,” said Blues boss Sarri. “But as usual in the last two months we started very badly in the second half.“We need a solution. In the last 10 matches we started like in this match, it’s a big problem.“Probably at the end of the first half we thought we had qualified, but against this opponent it was not true. I have never seen something like these opponents physically, so it was clear the second half could be difficult for us.3

Sarri recognises there’s a problem with his side’s start to the second-half of games

“But we did something wrong in the first 10 minutes of the second half.“At half-time I told them to start with the same application as they started the first, but we didn’t do it. It’s not easy to understand.“I could try without going in the dressing room at half-time if I could solve the problem.”Pedro opened the scoring following a flowing move involving Cesar Azpilicueta and Olivier Giroud, with the Spaniard applying the finish.3

Pedro bagged a brace

Pedro should have claimed the second but he somehow side-footed Eden Hazard’s inviting ball across goal on to the post.Fortunately for the Blues the ball ricocheted into luckless defender Simon Deli and bounced into the net.N’Golo Kante then set Pedro through to tee up Giroud for his 10th goal in the competition this season.That should have been that, but Chelsea’s defence dozed off in the 26th minute to allow the unmarked Tomas Soucek to pull one back with a header at the far post. Chelsea merely went straight down the other end and restored their four-goal cushion, Pedro pouncing on the rebound after Giroud’s close-range effort was saved.Yet a 5-1 aggregate lead at half-time became 5-3 only 10 minutes into the second half, a quickfire double from Petr Sevcik raising the Czech side’s hopes of a staging remarkable comeback.But Chelsea weathered the storm to set up a semi-final against Eintracht Frankfurt.Hazard, the subject of a couple of clattering early challenges, was taken off midway through the second half, but Sarri hopes he will be fit to face Burnley on Monday.“It’s nothing serious, I hope,” he added. “It’s only a strong knock. But I think we can recover him for the next match on Monday.”Disappointed Slavia coach Jindrich Trpisovsky said: “We scored three goals, but it is only a little remedy after the first half.”

---

The Kevin de Bruyne and Leroy Sane struck as Manchester City breezed past Cardiff 2-0 at the Etihad to return to the summit of the Premier League.The quadruple-chasing champions were hardly tested by the Bluebirds and eased to victory with goals early and late in the first half.The result lifted Pep Guardiola's side a point above Liverpool
Pep Guardiola's men breeze past Bluebirds to retake top spot
newsleak24.com/pep-guardiolas-men-breeze-past-bluebirds-to-retake-top-spot/
The consequence lifted Pep Guardiola's aspect some extent above Liverpool with each groups having six video games to play. Cardiff's state of affairs, against this, is perilous. The Bluebirds are actually 5 factors adrift of security with no video games in hand on any of their relegation rivals.
Manchester City 2-0 Cardiff: Pep Guardiola's men breeze past

---

As part of the sale, which has been considered for years, the government plans to give 10 percent of the shares to Royal Mail employees in Britain free on the condition that they hold them for three years.
Vabilo na delavnico Interpretacija in lokalna dediščina

---

West Ham United will not sell wantaway Austrian striker Marko Arnautovic without the express approval of manager Manuel Pellegrini, the Chilean has said.. Arnautovic has been linked with a move to Chinese club Shanghai SIPG, with West Ham reportedly rejecting a £35m bid from the Chinese Super League champions.
Transfer news live: Star desperate for Arsenal transfer

---

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo wanted by David Beckham for MLS side Inter Miami ahead of 2020 debut The former England captain conceded it was unlikely the superstars would sign, but refused
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo wanted by David Beckham

---

'Manchester United doing badly never gets old' - Liverpool

---

Angel Rangel (right) scored twice for QPR at Stoke last month. Queens Park Rangers defender Angel Rangel has extended his QPR boss Steve McClaren said: "When he first arrived he wasn't fit, but he has worked so hard. We didn't realise the kind of impact
Steve McClaren joins Queens Park Rangers coaching team

---

As a boy, Steven Gerrard once donned a replica shirt bearing the name of one of his favourite midfielders. He charged around in all-action fashion, flying into tackles, trying to score spectacular
Liverpool F.C.-Manchester United F.C. rivalry - Wikipedia

---

West Ham 1-1 Liverpool: Jurgen Klopp suggests referee was influenced by offside goal in 'strange' second half 'strange situations' Liverpool's opening goal should not have stood as it was offside, and Klopp appears to suggest his side suffered as a result
West Ham 1-1 Liverpool: Manuel Pellegrini admits

---

LEEDS, England (Reuters) - Derby County moved a step closer to the Premier League after reaching the Championship playoff final with a 4-2 win over Leeds United on Wednesday, as they roared back from a two-goal aggregate deficit to win 4-3 over..

---

Despite heartbreak in the Champions League final, Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino is set to be backed heavily in the transfer market this summer, according to reports in the Daily Mirror. The Spurs boss highlighted the financial muscle of his top-four rivals in the aftermath of their 2-0

---

Arsenal news, transfers, stats, reports and more. False. No one can honestly believe he's been given nearly as much a chance as the vast majority of the other players in the squad, in spite of being more talented and having more experience at the elite level than almost all of them.

---

Manchester United will face Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League round of 16, while Liverpool have been drawn against Bayern Munich. Atletico Madrid take on Juventus, Tottenham Hotspur are up against Borussia Dortmund, and Real Madrid face Ajax.
Champions League last-16 draw: Liverpool to play Bayern Munich

---