David De Gea first to win three straight Man United Player of the Year awards

David De Gea became the first Manchester United player to win the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award for three years in a row when he triumphed again on Monday night.

The goalkeeper collected the prize at the club's annual awards ceremony at Old Trafford, which was broadcast on MUTV. Chris Smalling was named Players' Player of the Year, Cameron Borthwick-Jackson won the Under-21s honour and Marcus Rashford was awarded the Under-18s award. Anthony Martial's debut strike against Liverpool was the goal of the season.

.@D_DeGea, our Player of the Year. Again!#MUFCPOTY #DaveSaves pic.twitter.com/KYbXBZ0bIT

- Manchester United (@ManUtd) May 2, 2016

De Gea's award was decided by a fans' vote, which led to him earning the accolade ahead of other consistently impressive performers such as Martial, Smalling and Daley Blind.

The United goalkeeper said: "It's difficult to say something. To win three years in a row is amazing. I'm really happy. It's an honour and I want to say thank you to everyone. I think we have some of the best fans in the world."

Former players Roy Keane, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Cristiano Ronaldo had all won the prize in back-to-back years but De Gea has now gone one better.

United manager Louis van Gaal said: "Everyone knows he was invited to Madrid. His girlfriend is living in Madrid; his parents, Spanish. Real Madrid is a great club, but he is still here and, as a manager, I am so happy he is here and he deserves to win this title."

Speaking about the Spanish goalkeeper, midfielder Juan Mata said: "For me, he is the most consistent player. He is always saving points for us."

Before the ceremony, captain Wayne Rooney had paid tribute to the central defenders' efforts this season, but revealed that he voted for Daley Blind as Player of the Year.

Rooney said: "For me personally, Daley and Chris have been brilliant for us. I went with Chris last year so it's Daley this year."

Former United greats including Sir Bobby Charlton and Denis Law were there to witness the prize-giving.

Meanwhile Van Gaal addressed his situation with the club, saying he believed that being portrayed as a "nobody" could be having an effect on the way his players respond to him.

Van Gaal said: "I'm a coach, a manager, who would rather have some authority but every day the players can read it -- what do you think about my authority as well? What do you think about the way they want to follow my advice? When the coach is shown like a nobody. And I am not what the media is writing, because I am very arrogant, because I am one of the best managers in the world."

When asked how difficult the season has been, he replied: "Very difficult. More difficult for my players than me. First they have to deal with this manager, which is not so easy."

Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri only wants players with 'same mentality'

Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri says he doesn't want to lose any of his star players, and only wants to sign those with the right mentality after winning the Premier League title.

Tottenham Hotspur's 2-2 draw at Chelsea on Monday night left Leicester with an unassailable seven-point lead at the top of the table with two games to play.

Ranieri can now start planning for next season, when the Foxes can also look forward to a first-ever season in the Champions League -- where they will be one of the top seeds alongside the champions of the other top-seven leagues and the title holders.

It means the coach will have to strengthen his squad to deal with the demands of European football, but he is eager to recruit players with the right temperament.

Asked if the Foxes could repeat their amazing success next season, he told Sky Sports News: "I think no, but we want to continue to build.

"When I came here the objective was to create a solid foundation and build together. This season is out of our project but our foundations are very solid and we want to do our best.

"We don't want to sell anybody. If some player doesn't want to stay with us I don't want unhappy people.

"We are looking to add to the team but with the same mentality. Who comes must know we are working hard."

Looking ahead to Leicester receiving the Premier League trophy at the King Power Stadium on Saturday, Ranieri added: "I feel good now. [Picking up the trophy] in front of our fans it will be fantastic."

Leicester City. Champions of England. pic.twitter.com/WRwfysTn2N

- Leicester City (@LCFC) May 2, 2016
It is also Ranieri's first top-flight triumph in his managerial career and the 64-year-old admits emotions were running high when the full-time whistle blew at Stamford Bridge.

"The emotion was at the maximum level," Ranieri added. "It means the job is good. I am very, very happy now because maybe if I won this title at the beginning of my career maybe I would forget.

"Now I am an old man I can feel it much better.

"I said every time I am very happy for the fans, for the chairman and for all the Leicester community," Ranieri added. "I don't know the secret. The players, the heart, the soul and how they play.

"My message to the fans is now to keep going, we want to improve a lot."

Ranieri had been visiting his 96-year-old mother in Rome on Monday but landed at East Midlands airport in time to return home and watch Tottenham's draw.

Cristiano Ronaldo fit to face Man City; Karim Benzema and Casemiro doubtful

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane said Tuesday that Cristiano Ronaldo will start Wednesday's Champions League semifinal second leg against Manchester City, but Casemiro and Karim Benzema are now almost certainly ruled out.

Ronaldo has missed Madrid's past three games with a right thigh-muscle problem, including the goalless first leg at City on April 26.

Benzema, meanwhile, left at half-time of the game at the Etihad Stadium with a similar issue, and Casemiro picked up a thigh problem in Saturday's 1-0 La Liga win at Real Sociedad.

After reports that Ronaldo had suffered a second muscle injury and rumours of a breakdown in the relationship between Madrid's star players and the club's senior medical staff, the 31-year-old Portugal international has undergone an intensive recovery regimen in recent days and again took part in training with his teammates on Tuesday morning.

Zidane said during his prematch news conference that Ronaldo had recovered completely from the injury and there was no risk involved in him playing against City.

"Cristiano is fine -- he is at 100 percent," Zidane said on Tuesday. "He trained with us and will be with us tomorrow. There is no risk. He is training, and he is 100 percent."

Zidane had previously said that Ronaldo was likely to start last week's first leg in Manchester, but he stressed that the situation was different this time around.

"It is not just two days, it is a week, and bit by bit he has been recovering," he said. "He is a player who is like that, who recovers very quickly. He will be at 100 percent tomorrow.

"It is always good to have him on the pitch with us. He is an outstanding player, his statistics show that."

Benzema again continued his recovery indoors without joining his teammates and does not appear likely to be in the squad on Wednesday.

"Karim still had his problem today, and we did not want to risk him," Zidane said.

Casemiro, meanwhile, has become a key player in Zidane's 4-3-3 system, but his unexpected hip problem could rule him out of the club's biggest game of the season so far.

Zidane did not confirm the holding midfielder's absence but suggested he was likely to sit the match out.

"With Casemiro, it is not a [serious] injury, but it is swollen and we did not want to risk it," he said. "We have a big enough squad for others to play. We will try, Casemiro is Casemiro, but other players can do the same work as he does. Whoever plays in that position will do the same work as Casemiro."

He added: "I would have liked to have Casemiro and Benzema, but it is not like that. Others will play and they will do well."

Zidane rejected the idea that the injuries meant that he might consider changing his system or approach for this game.

"I will not change tomorrow," he said. "The idea is always the same, and even more so playing at home. We will need to show the intensity that a Champions League semifinal requires.

"When we do not have the ball, we will have to defend well, all together as a team, as we have been recently. Not just the midfield, or the defenders, but everyone must do this work."

Barcelona lose lead, draw at Villarreal; Real Madrid surge past Sevilla

Barcelona missed out on the chance to go 11 points clear at the top of the Primera Division as they squandered a two-goal advantage in a 2-2 draw at Villarreal.

Ivan Rakitic's half-volley and a classy 'Panenka' penalty from Neymar had given Luis Enrique's side a comfortable lead before half-time.

But Villarreal fought back after the break, Cedric Bakambu halving the deficit before Jeremy Mathieu knocked the ball into his own net just moments after coming on as a substitute.

Despite failing to win for the first time in 13 league games, Barca increased their lead over nearest challengers Atletico Madrid at the top of the table to nine points after the Rojiblancos lost 2-1 at Sporting Gijon, while Villarreal remain fourth, picking up a first point in three games.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid used goals from Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Jese to overcome pesky Sevilla 4-0 at the Bernabeu.

Benzema eased nerves early with an impressive first-time finish of a Bale cross from the center of the box in the sixth minute.

It would take nearly an hour for Real to score again, but Los Blancos did so in rapid succession.

Ronaldo, who missed a penalty minutes before, scored his goal on a tricky finish from close range on 64 minutes, and Bale scored a similar effort from about the same distance after a cushioned chip from Benzema.

Substitute Jese then stepped up four minutes from time, pouncing on a deflection and slotting past Sergio Rico to wrap up the points for the Zinedine Zidane's men.

Late goals from John Guidetti and Hugo Mallo gave Celta Vigo a 2-0 win at hapless Valencia to pile more misery on coach Gary Neville, who was the subject of angry chants by the Mestalla crowd.

Valencia fell behind after 80 minutes as Guidetti latched onto an audacious back-heel by Fabian Orellana to lash home.

Five minutes later, captain Mallo finished off the hosts, coasting down the right-hand side and cutting inside to beat goalkeeper Mat Ryan at the near post.

As the whistle approached, furious Valencia fans turned their anger on Neville, chanting "Gary go now."

Goals from Pape Diop and substitute Felipe Caicedo saw Espanyol come from behind to beat Athletic Bilbao 2-1 and move seven points clear of the relegation zone.

Javier Eraso had given the Basques the lead after 20 minutes by following up his shot on the rebound after Pau Lopez had parried.

Constantin Galca's side got the equaliser they deserved in the 54th minute, Diop rising to meet a corner and heading home.

They took the lead for the first time in the game just three minutes later. Gerard Moreno raced forward on the counter and spotted Caicedo on the edge of the area, the Ecuadorian controlling the ball and beating a defender before lashing into the net, making his mark on the game just four minutes after coming off the bench to replace Asensio.

Marcus Rashford hailed by Louis van Gaal after Manchester United victory

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal described Marcus Rashford as a "real striker" after the 18-year-old scored the only goal to win the derby at Manchester City.

Rashford's cool finish, which came after he had tricked his way past Martin Demichelis, cut the gap between fourth-placed City and United to just a point.

The 16th-minute strike made him the youngest scorer in Manchester derbies during the Premier League era at 18 years and 141 days.

Van Gaal told Sky Sports: "He is a real striker. That's why I let him play in that position.

"He can make goals but also is an attacking point and runs the channels. Still, he is 18, so we have to wait and see how consistent he is."

Rashford thought he should have had a penalty when he was brought down by the struggling Demichelis, and Van Gaal said: "I think it was a penalty. We need video referees, I think."

The United boss praised his side for their speedy recovery from the Europa league exit to Liverpool on Thursday, adding: "A lot of players had cramp, but that is logical when you have played on Thursday.

"You saw what Liverpool did. They were 2-0 up then lost 2-3 [at Southampton] because they were not recovered.

"It was fantastic, what we did. We did it also against Arsenal. We have beaten Manchester City and it is not easy to win here.

"It was a long time ago that we won here, so it is for the fans as well."

Chris Smalling was again a commanding presence in defence for United and praised Rashford for making the difference.

The England defender said: "It's so refreshing to see a young lad who wants to run at defenders. If I was coming up against him, I'd know it'd be a difficult game."

Michael Carrick, meanwhile, said the win was "more than three points."

He added: "The position that we were in, in the league meant it was a must-win game. It gives us a bit of momentum."

Galatasaray-Fenerbahce derby postponed due to unspecified threats

ISTANBUL -- Turkish authorities called off Sunday's Galatasaray-Fenerbahce derby in Istanbul about two hours before kickoff citing an unspecified threat, and said the game would be played at a later date.

A brief statement from the Istanbul governor's office said the match was cancelled following "the assessment of serious intelligence," but didn't provide details. It said the decision was made following "the request and the agreement" of the two bitter rivals.

Unconfirmed media reports said there was a bomb threat at the stadium.

The decision came a day after an Islamic State group-linked suicide bomber killed himself and four foreign tourists on Istanbul's main pedestrian street. The attack was the sixth suicide bombing in Turkey since July that have either been blamed on the IS group or claimed by Kurdish militants.

It came amid heightened alert in Turkey in the run-up to the Kurdish spring festival of Newroz, which has led to violent confrontations between Kurdish and Turkish security forces in the past.

Earlier, fans were told that the game would be played without spectators, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported, leading to protests by fans who were already inside the stadium. But authorities later decided to delay the game.

Gianluigi Buffon sets Serie A record in Juventus' win asNapoli keep pace

Goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon made Serie A history as Juventus remained top of Serie A with a 4-1 win at Torino in the Turin derby on Saturday.

Needing to survive just four minutes to pass Sebastiano Rossi's all-time league record of 929 minutes without conceding a goal, Buffon did so with ease before Juventus moved 2-0 ahead through Paul Pogba and Sami Khedira.

Eventually Buffon was beaten for the first time in the league since Jan. 10 by an Andrea Belotti penalty, yet the Bianconeri made sure of the points with a brilliant third through substitute Alvaro Morata, who notched again late on in a result that extended Juve's unbeaten run to 20 league games.

The gloss was taken off the victory somewhat by Sami Khedira's 87th-minute red card, which he seemingly accrued for something he said to the referee.

Napoli overcame a half-time deficit to defeat Geona 3-1 to stay three points behind Juventus.

Tomas Rincon opened the scoring for the visitors in the 10th minute as Tomas Rincon's powerful right-footed shot from outside the box caught goalkeeper Pepe Reina off guard, and Genoa held a 1-0 half-time lead.

But Gonzalo Higuain scored six moments after the break when Elseid Hysaj's smart ball forward into the box found him in plenty of space, and then he put Napoli ahead in the 81st minute with a curling 16-yard strike in off the right post.

Omar El Kaddouri added a third goal in stoppage time for Napoli as he slotted home Manolo Gabbiadini's cross.

Fiorentina were held to a 0-0 draw by relegation battlers Frosinone -- but the point was enough to lift them back into fourth place above Inter Milan.

Frosinone goalkeeper Nicola Leali produced a string of fine saves to deny the Viola, who twice hit the woodwork through Nikola Kalinic and Borja Valero, while home midfielder Oliver Kragl fired a free kick against the crossbar.

Both sides went close to grabbing a winner in the closing stages. Substitute Aleksandar Tonev's shot flashed just wide and at the other end Kalinic headed just off target.

Sassuolo's slim chances of qualifying for Europe have all but ended despite coming from behind to earn a 1-1 draw against Udinese at the Stadio Citta del Tricolore.

With Inter Milan dropping points at Roma on Saturday, Sassuolo could have closed the gap on the Europa League places to eight points with a win.

But Duvan Zapata scored his sixth goal of the campaign to give Stefano Colantuono's men an early lead.

The hosts equalised in the 64th minute when Matteo Politano headed in Federico Peluso's cross but the Neroverdi remain seventh while Udinese are now four points above the relegation zone in 16th.

Riccardo Meggiorini netted a first-half winner as Chievo claimed three points from a 1-0 win over Sampdoria at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris.

Meggiorini's effort midway through the first half was enough to secure victory as the home side failed to get anything from the game despite having seven shots on target.

Sampdoria enjoyed 65 percent possession but it was Meggiorini's header which separated the two sides as Valter Birsa's cross found the Italian forward after 24 minutes for his fifth goal of the season.

Atalanta recorded their first victory in 15 games to potentially save manager Edy Reja's job as they defeated nine-man Bologna 2-0.

Reja had received no assurances on his position following his club's alarming slide, which was eventually halted by first-half goals from Alejandro Gomez and Alessandro Diamanti, before Ibrahima Mbaye and Daniele Gastaldello were both dismissed late on.

Ex-West Ham forward Diamanti squared for Gomez to break the deadlock with a close-range finish before scoring himself as Mauricio Pinilla teed him up.

Pinilla then had a penalty saved, yet it did not prove costly as Mbaye was sent off for a lunge on Gomez and Gastaldello, booked when he conceded the spot kick, followed him for two cautions.

Struggling Carpi secured an important 2-1 win against bottom side Hellas Verona with both sides desperate for points to keep them in Serie A.

The visitors got on the scoresheet three minutes before half-time when Antonio Di Gaudio found the back of the net but Verona came back fighting in the second half and levelled the score just after the hour mark through Artur Ionita.

Verona only managed to keep the score level for three minutes when Kevin Lasagna scored his fourth goal of the season and things got worse for the bottom side when two yellows in eight minutes saw Ante Rebic get sent off in the last minute of normal time.

Liverpool's Klopp: 'Southampton deserved the three points'

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp didn't have an answer for his side's shocking second half performance in their 3-2 loss at Southampton, and admitted the Saints "deserved" the three points on Sunday.

Liverpool went into the game on an eight-match unbeaten run and looked for all the world like extending that after a first-half in which they were by far the better side.

But, with the Reds losing for the first time in Premier League history after leading 2-0 at half-time, Klopp was at a loss as to the contrast in displays either side of the interval.

"I saw lot of good things from my side," he said.

"It was a perfect first half and we could have scored more. We played really good.
"In the second-half Southampton deserved it. We could have done better but that's how it is in football. You have to take your chances and in the first moment of the second half I saw it was not too good.

"It was clear when they scored their first goal that something big would happen in this game. We could have played better. It is like it is. Second half Southampton deserved the three points."

Despite the setback, Klopp has refused to give up on taking Liverpool into the top four before the end of the season.

"There are nine games left, still 27 points to get," Klopp added. "If we can get all of them there is a chance."

Man City expect injured Joe Hart, Raheem Sterling to miss 3-4 weeks

Joe Hart and Raheem Sterling are set to miss England's forthcoming friendlies, with Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini saying he expected muscle injuries to keep them out for up to a month.

Roy Hodgson's England travel to take on world champions Germany next weekend, following that up with a game against Netherlands at Wembley.

However, the 24-man squad named on Thursday for those matches looks set to change after Sterling and Hart were injured as City lost 1-0 at home to rivals Manchester United on Sunday.

Sterling pulled up with a groin complaint midway through the first half and Hart was taken off on a stretcher after half-time having sustained a calf injury while trying to clear a horrible Martin Demichelis backpass.

"Both of them have muscle injuries," Pellegrini said. "Raheem his groin and Joe in his calf. I don't think that with a muscle injury you can be fit in one week. Normally it is three or four weeks."

Pellegrini, who walked out of his TV interview, struck an understandably frustrated figure in his post-match news conference, having seen City's title hopes extinguished as United moved to within a point of them in fourth.

The Champions League quarterfinals may await the Capital One Cup winners, but they have now only won one of six league matches, raising questions of whether Pep Guardiola's impending arrival has negatively impacted the squad.

"I don't think that I lose any control," Pellegrini said. "If you see the attitude of the team today, it reflects that we are involved in what we want to do.

"Of course it is not the best way to finish the season and maybe one thing is linked with the other one, but I repeat I am happy with the attitude.

"The players are focused in this season and want to finish as near the top of the table as we can."

Demichelis had a woeful afternoon at the Etihad Stadium, not only with the back pass that led to Hart's injury but also for his embarrassing role in conceding Marcus Rashford's goal.

Pellegrini rejected the suggestion that Rashford was too good for Demichelis, although accepted his substitution early in the second half was a result of a bad day at the office.

"He was nervous," Pellegrini said, having taken him off in the 53rd minute. "He was not having a good day."

Louis van Gaal: Man United top-four finish 'in our own hands'

Louis van Gaal believes Manchester United have a great chance of securing Champions League football after coming through a "test of survival" at rivals Manchester City. 

Thursday's Europa League exit to Liverpool means only a top-four finish will do if United are to return to European football's top table.

Van Gaal admitted in the build-up to Sunday's match that defeat would all but extinguish their Champions League hopes, but his side produced a strong display to close the gap on misfiring City.

Marcus Rashford's first-half strike at the Etihad Stadium saw his first Manchester derby end in a 1-0 win, making his manager believe a top-four finish is within their grasp.

"I have said in advance that we must win this game and we have done it, so I am very happy because otherwise the gap was too big if they won," Van Gaal said. "Or a draw is still four points, eight matches to go, so then it should be very difficult.

"Now it is in our own hands, I think. We have to win our games, we have more home matches than away matches. We don't lose so much at Old Trafford so we have a big chance."

Van Gaal says that the belief was palpable in the dressing room after a match which left him proud given Thursday's Europa League exertions.

"I think that we have played a fantastic first half," he said. "We started the second half again very good and had the first chances -- after that it was a test of survival because we were very tired.

"We have to recover within two days -- that is nearly not possible and especially not when you play a game against Liverpool like we have done.

"We have and have given everything to beat Liverpool and then you have to play City. You have seen, for example, their result at Southampton -- half-time 0-2, final time 3-2.

"I have not seen the match but I can only conclude that it is because of the tiredness. That is what we have done to them.

"My players have fought to the end with cramp -- Marcus Rashford could still run with cramp. I have never seen that!"
Van Gaal's comments came in response to a question about United targeting City's injury-hit defence.

While coy when asked about that in the news conference, he was far more forthcoming in the broadcast interviews, especially on City centre-back Martin Demichelis.

"Rashford is very quick and Demichelis looked like the years are catching up with him," he said. "He was a very good defender, he was my centre-back in Bayern but that is the life of football."