New Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers on Tuesday watched from the stands as the Foxes beat Brighton & Hove Albion 2-1, while Newcastle United pulled further clear of the relegation battle by defeating Burnley.
Rodgers was confirmed as Claude Puel’s successor just before kickoff at the King Power after dramatically leaving Celtic, despite being on course for a third straight domestic treble in Scotland.
The Northern Irishman saw what his new side are capable of as Demarai Gray and Jamie Vardy put the hosts into a 2-0 lead before Davy Propper pulled a goal back.
Photo: Reuters
“I spoke to them about the incoming manager and just said we had to concentrate on the game. He’s given the players a boost. He said he’s excited to get started,” Leicester’s caretaker manager Mike Stowell said.
“It’s been a difficult season on and off the pitch, but I think we should be seventh for the quality we have,” he added.
However, Brighton’s alarming slide toward the bottom three continued as they could not find an equalizer and now have not won in seven league games.
Newcastle are headed in the other direction as once again they were inspired by the performance of record signing Miguel Almiron to end Burnley’s eight-game unbeaten Premier League run with a 2-0 victory.
Fabian Schar’s stunning long-range effort put Rafael Benitez’s men in front before Sean Longstaff scored his first league goal for the club to give Newcastle a commanding halftime lead they never looked like surrendering.
“It is amazing to be playing every week, it was my dream as a young boy,” Newcastle native Longstaff said.
Cardiff City remain just a point above the relegation zone as Everton inflicted a second heavy home defeat on the Welsh side in five days with a 3-0 win to boost their confidence ahead of Sunday’s Merseyside derby against Liverpool.
Gylfi Sigurdsson scored twice either side of halftime before Dominic Calvert-Lewin rounded off a badly needed win for manager Marco Silva in stoppage time.
Huddersfield Town remain rock bottom, but did secure their first win under Jan Siewert thanks to Steve Mounie’s 91st-minute winner to beat the Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0.
“I will have one beer tonight — maybe two, but we have a game on Saturday and there is still something possible,” Siewert said, with the Terriers still 11 points off safety.
COUPE DE FRANCE
AFP, PARIS
Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday continued their bid for a fifth straight Coupe de France title as Angel Di Maria scored twice in a comfortable 3-0 quarter-final win over Dijon at the Parc des Princes.
Di Maria’s eighth-minute lob put the holders ahead before adding his second before the half-hour mark, with Thomas Meunier sweeping in a late third.
Thomas Tuchel’s men remain on course for a historic treble, as they also lead Ligue 1 by 17 points with a game in hand and are to take a 2-0 advantage over Manchester United into the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie next week.
Head coach Tuchel decided to leave Kylian Mbappe on the bench against a Dijon side languishing in the Ligue 1 relegation zone.
The German singled out the first-half performance of last month’s signing Leandro Paredes for special praise.
Paredes “played a very good first half, like the rest of the team,” Tuchel said. “He’s a guy who can make very precise passes. It was his role to set the pace and speed up the passing game.”
Yesterday, Lyon were to take on Caen as they look for a first major trophy since winning the Coupe in 2012, while Rennes, buoyed by their run to the Europa League last 16, host Orleans.
COPPA ITALIA
AP, ROME
Just like last year, nothing could separate AC Milan and SS Lazio in the Coppa Italia semi-finals on Tuesday.
Milan drew 0-0 at Lazio in the first leg of their semi-final, leaving it all to play for in the return fixture at San Siro in two months.
The two sides met at the same stage last season, with Milan progressing on penalties after both legs ended 0-0.
Neither side really tested the opposition goalkeeper on Tuesday and even the competition’s top scorer, Krzysztof Piatek, had a quiet night.
Piatek has netted twice for Milan in the Coppa Italia since his move from Genoa.
ACF Fiorentina were to host Atalanta BC yesterday in the first leg of the other semi-final.
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