Real Madrid presses for Barcelona slip-up in Spanish league

MADRID (AP) — With the Spanish league season nearing its end, Real Madrid can only wait for Barcelona to falter.

Barcelona leads the league by two points, and is also in the Copa del Rey final. Both Madrid and Barcelona are in the Champions League semifinals. "Our strategy is clear," Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said after Madrid's 4-2 win at Celta Vigo on Sunday. "If we win all our matches, we force them to have to win all of theirs."

However, Madrid has tough matches at Sevilla and Valencia to come, while Barcelona's toughest challenge will be at Atletico Madrid. Here are some things to know about this week's matches:

CHICHARITO'S CHANCE

Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez replaced injured Madrid striker Karim Benzema and has rapidly won over fans by scoring the lone goal that knocked Atletico out of the Champions League. He then scored twice against Celta.

Ancelotti said Hernandez has "suffered" by not being selected often, and praised his persistence.

"If Chicharito continues to play like this, he'll be non-negotiable, like Cristiano (Ronaldo)," Ancelotti said. "But only 11 can play and the rest have to remain on the bench."

Hernandez said he had "gone through a bad time" while on the bench, but was determined to make the most of his chance in the squad.

"I'm focused on playing the maximum amount of minutes for the best team in the world," the Mexico forward said.

If Benzema is fit for Wednesday's match against 17th-place Almeria — a team fighting to remain above the relegation zone — Ancelotti must chose which striker to deploy.

SIMEONE'S 200

Diego Simeone will celebrate his 200th match as coach of Atletico in Wednesday's match at Villarreal.

Simeone, who has so far steered Atletico to 126 wins and five titles, has been getting help from the in-form attacking partnership of Antoine Griezmann and Mario Mandzukic.

"I am enjoying myself right now," Griezmann said after scoring two goals during Atletico's 3-0 win over Elche on Saturday.

ALBA OUT

Barcelona coach Luis Enrique's main concern ahead of Tuesday's home match against 13th-place Getafe is the absence of suspended defender Jordi Alba.

Barcelona drew 0-0 in its last league outing against Getafe.

The squad is bolstered by the return of midfielder Rafinha from injury, and Enrique will likely retain his three-pronged attack of Neymar, Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi.

Roma president: Stadium construction to start by end of year

Photo: AP This March 26, 2014 artist rendering provided by Italian Serie A soccer club Roma, shows the new stadium to be build on the outskirts of Rome. Roma's American president James Pallotta remains optimistic that construction will begin on a new stadium inspired by the Colosseum by the end of 2015. Roma's American president James Pallotta remains optimistic that construction will begin on a new stadium inspired by the Colosseum by the end of the year. The project has been slowed by a long approval process from city and regional authorities. But Pallotta tells Tuesday, March 3, 2015 The Associated Press, "We're still on the same timetable. Hopefully this fall. It should go through by then for putting shovels in the ground."

ROME (AP) — Roma president and American investor James Pallotta remains optimistic that construction will begin on a new stadium inspired by the Colosseum by the end of the year.

The project on Rome's outskirts has been slowed by a long approval process involving city and regional authorities. "We're still on the same timetable," Pallotta told The Associated Press. "Hopefully this fall. It should go through by then for putting shovels in the ground."

When Roma unveiled a model for the stadium at city hall a year ago, the plan was to have it open for the 2016-17 season. "It's actually going pretty well. Everyone wants it — the mayor, the city council — it's just an incredibly complex project," Pallotta said following Roma's 1-1 draw with Juventus on Monday.

"It's not complex because of the regulatory side of it. It's just a complex project," Pallotta said. "It's not a football stadium that's only for football. There's an office park, there's a training facility, there's 300,000 square feet of live entertainment space. There's going to be festivals and concerts and (American) college football games. So it's a very, very complicated facility."

Labeled "Stadio della Roma" for now — until naming rights are awarded — the facility will seat 52,500 spectators and be able to expand to 60,000 for major matches. "We already had a number of college teams ask us a year ago about building a stadium," Pallotta said. "And I would like to get the NFL sometime, too."

Pallotta met with Rome Mayor Ignazio Marino at city hall on Friday to discuss the project. "There's a lot of optimism and a lot of certainty to begin seeing workers building the stadium by the end of 2015," Marino said after the meeting.

Building costs for the stadium are estimated at 300 million euros ($335 million) but the overall price, including surrounding infrastructure and transport, will run beyond 1 billion euros ($1 billion).

With Rome bidding for the 2024 Olympics, the new stadium could also be used for soccer or other sports during the games if the capital is selected by the IOC. The new stadium will be in the Tor di Valle area in the city's southwest, about halfway between downtown and Fiumicino airport. It is located on the banks of the Tiber River, so there has also been some environmental opposition.

For years, Roma has shared the Stadio Olimpico with city rival Lazio but that stadium features a running track and poor sightlines for soccer. The Olimpico is controlled by the Italian Olympic Committee, while Roma will operate the new stadium.

The stadium has been a big goal since Roma was purchased by a four-man group of Boston executives who in 2011 became the first foreign majority owners of a Serie A club. It's being designed by American architect Dan Meis, who has drawn up the plans for numerous stadiums and arenas in the United States, plus the Saitama Super Arena in Japan.

Dutch candidate for FIFA presidency wants more transparency

Photo: AP FIFA president Sepp Blatter leaves after the International Football Association Board (IFAB) meeting in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2015. Sepp Blatter wants the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar to take place no later than Dec. 18, a date that would avoid a conflict with the powerful Premier League over the Christmas schedule in England. The dates of the 2022 tournament will be confirmed in March by the FIFA executive committee, which Blatter heads.

ZEIST, Netherlands (AP) — The Dutch candidate for the FIFA presidency said Monday he wants to boost the number of teams at the World Cup to 40 and give guaranteed berths to host nations and defending champions.

Royal Netherlands Football Association Chairman Michael van Praag also said FIFA should send more money to national federations, pledging an annual handout of $1 million to each football federation, four times the current $250,000.

Van Praag made the pledges as he asked the Dutch FA to foot the 394,538-euro ($440,977) bill for his campaign to oust FIFA President Sepp Blatter following May's election. Van Praag briefly outlined his bid to "normalize" FIFA before rushing to catch a plane to Paraguay, where he will lobby members of the South American football federation for their support.

He said future 40-team World Cups should also include an extra team from each confederation. He said prize money for participants at the World Cup and Confederations Cup also should be increased and a separate budget should be established to improve infrastructure at national associations that need financial support.

Not surprisingly given the Dutch FA's support for goal-line technology, Van Praag said he wants to give referees more technological help where possible. He said that when something controversial happens on the pitch, "we cannot expect our referees to be the only people in the stadium who can't replay that moment."

He also said that as FIFA president he would set up an international academy to train referees and another for youth trainers. The 78-year-old Blatter is seeking a fifth term running global football's governing body. FIFA Vice President Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan and Portugal great Luis Figo also looking to end Blatter's reign, which began in 1998.

Van Praag, a veteran football administrator and wealthy businessman, was prepared to fund his own campaign, but that wasn't necessary — in a show of hands vote, members of the Dutch FA overwhelmingly agreed to meet the cost.

Van Praag also said he would publish "as soon as possible" the confidential report of American lawyer Michael Garcia who led an investigation into the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bid process that led to Russia and Qatar winning the hosting rights.

"When you act normally, you have nothing to hide," Van Praag said. FIFA also has said it will publish the report, but only after legal proceedings against five people for alleged wrongdoing in the World Cup campaigns are concluded, a process that could take a long while.

Feyenoord faces racism case for fans' banana incident

NYON, Switzerland (AP) — UEFA has charged Feyenoord with racist behavior by fans who threw an inflatable banana on the pitch during a tense Europa League last-32 match against Roma.

UEFA also charged Roma winger Adem Ljajic on Monday with "provoking spectators" when celebrating the opening goal in Roma's decisive 2-1 win last Thursday. Dozens of fans were detained in the Netherlands ahead of the return game following disorder in Rome at the first-leg match.

Last Thursday, play was twice briefly stopped by fan incidents including in the first half when the banana was thrown. Feyenoord coach Fred Rutten suggested after the match there was no racist intent.

"There is such a fuss made about it. I don't see it that way," Rutten said. "We have different nationalities in our team. It's nonsense. We make too much of it." UEFA said Feyenoord faces sanctions on March 19 for fans' racist behavior, plus throwing fireworks and objects and the club's "insufficient organization" in the stadium.

Feyenoord was fined 15,000 euros ($16,800) by UEFA earlier this season for similar incidents. UEFA's disciplinary panel accelerated the cases against Serbia international Ljajic and Roma, which was late for a kick off.

The panel will hear those cases Wednesday and should apply sanctions before Roma plays Fiorentina in the last-16 round later this month.

Penalty gives Elche 1-1 draw at Celta Vigo in Spanish league

MADRID (AP) — Relegation-threatened Elche scored a penalty two minutes from time to secure a 1-1 draw away to Celta Vigo in the Spanish league on Monday.

Midfielder Victor Rodriguez made the most of a brush against Celta Vigo left-winger Michael Krohn-Dehli to earn a spot kick that defender David Lomban converted in the 88th minute. "Their goal made things difficult for us, but luckily we got a penalty that earned us a very good draw," said Lomban.

Krohn-Dehli had given Celta the lead in the 61st minute when he tapped-in Jonathan Castro's perfect cross after the defender had timed his run forward to beat the Elche defenders' offside trap. Celta stays eighth place on 32 points after 25 rounds while Elche is 17th on 24, two clear of the relegation zone.

"We've lost two points where we should have harvested three," said Celta defender Gustavo Cabral. "For me, that wasn't a penalty but the referee judged it that way and gifted them a draw." Real Madrid leads the standings with 61 points, two ahead of Barcelona.

10-man Roma salvages a 1-1 draw with Juventus in Serie A

Photo: AP Roma's Kostas Manolas, left, and Juventus' Carlos Tevez fight for the ball during the Serie A soccer match between Roma and Juventus at Rome's Olympic stadium, Monday, March. 2, 2015.

ROME (AP) — Ten-man Roma scored a late equalizer to salvage a 1-1 draw with Juventus on Monday and keep alive its faint Serie A title hopes.

Former Barcelona midfielder Seydou Keita headed in following a free kick in the 78th minute at the Stadio Olimpico after Carlos Tevez had given Juventus the lead 14 minutes earlier with a curling free kick.

Tevez's goal came shortly after Vasilios Torosidis was shown a second yellow card for a debatable foul on Arturo Vidal, marking the fourth red for Roma in its last four Serie A meetings with Juventus.

The latest red card could revive controversy that followed the teams' first meeting this season in October, which Juventus won 3-2 with the aid of glaring refereeing errors. The rematch was a physical test that saw 11 yellow cards branded.

It marked Roma's sixth consecutive draw at home and the Giallorossi's seventh stalemate in their last eight matches. "We needed three points and nothing else," Keita said. Juventus maintained a nine-point lead over Roma with 13 rounds remaining, while Roma moved four points ahead of third-place Napoli in the race for a direct Champions League berth.

"I'm pleased with what we did until the 70th minute," Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri said. "In the second half we improved a lot, we took the lead, but then we stopped playing. "The season still has a long way to go and we're going to have to win more matches, especially on the road," Allegri added. "We took a step forward but we're still far from reaching our goal."

"Down a goal with 10 men, a reaction like that shows the squad is alive and has personality and character," Roma coach Rudi Garcia said. "Now we've got to focus on defending second place. "The match was very tactical with the goals coming from set pieces," Garcia added.

The match started 15 minutes late to show solidarity for crisis-hit Parma, which is on the verge of financial failure and has had its last two matches postponed indefinitely. Neither side produced clear chances in a tense and physical first half that saw no shots on goal.

The closest either team came to scoring early on came when Kostas Manolas intercepted a cross from Alvaro Morata and nearly redirected it into his own net in the 22nd. On the half-hour mark, Keita couldn't take advantage of a close-range opportunity and goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon quickly collected the danger.

Juventus winger Roberto Pereyra dribbled past three defenders to set up Tevez in the 42nd but the Argentine's shot was deflected wide. Both sides came out with more aggression for the second half and a long, angled shot from Vidal went just wide in the 50th.

It wasn't until just after the hour mark, though, that the course of the match changed. That was when Torosidis was whistled for what appeared to be a light touch on Vidal. With Juve free-kick specialist Andrea Pirlo missing due to injury, Tevez stepped up, and curled the ensuing free kick over Roma's wall and inside the left post from 22 yards. Roma goalkeeper Morgan De Sanctis was left standing rooted as the ball sailed past him into the net.

It was Tevez's 15th goal of the season, moving one ahead of Inter Milan's Mauro Icardi atop the league scoring chart. Buffon then preserved the lead by pushing wide a header from Manolas in the 72nd. In the 77th, Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini — the recipient of Luis Suarez's bite at the World Cup — was shown a yellow for a foul on Roma substitute Juan Iturbe just outside the area on the right flank. Florenzi's ensuing free kick was redirected by Keita beyond the reach of Buffon with Juventus midfielder Claudio Marchisio claiming the last touch in a failed attempt to deny the goal-bound effort.

Champion Celtic extends lead over Aberdeen with 4-0 rout

GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) — Celtic stretched its lead over Scottish Premiership title rival Aberdeen to six points with a 4-0 victory of the Dons on Sunday.

Celtic's Craig Gordon was the busier goalkeeper in the first half before an initial mistake from Aberdeen counterpart Scott Brown led to defender Jason Denayer heading the hosts in front from a corner in the 37th minute.

Aberdeen, so impressive before the break, fell apart in the second half. And after several close chances, striker Leigh Griffiths made it 2-0 with a penalty in the 63rd minute before midfielders Gary Mackay-Steven and Stefan Johansen added further goals.

Madrid stumbles to 1-1 draw with Villarreal in Spain

Photo: AP Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo, right, scores his goal during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Villarreal at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, March 1, 2015

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Real Madrid stumbled to a costly 1-1 draw with Villarreal at home on Sunday to tighten the Spanish league title race.

Cristiano Ronaldo gave Madrid the lead in the 52nd with a penalty he earned and converted. But Madrid squandered Ronaldo's league-leading 30th goal of the season when it conceded a goal by Villarreal striker Gerard Moreno.

Carlo Ancelotti's side still had over 25 minutes left to push for a winner, but it could have even lost if not for goalkeeper Iker Casillas' late save to deny Luciano Vietto. Madrid inched two points ahead of Barcelona.

Atletico Madrid was left seven points adrift in third after a 0-0 draw at Sevilla

Coutinho's curler earns Liverpool 2-1 win over Man City

Photo: AP Liverpool's Philippe Coutinho, centre, celebrates after scoring during the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Manchester City at Anfield Stadium, Liverpool, England, Sunday, March 1, 2015.

LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — Philippe Coutinho scored a late winner against Manchester City at Anfield for the second straight season as Liverpool won 2-1 on Sunday to dent the champions' chances of hauling in Premier League leader Chelsea.

The in-form Brazilian playmaker capped his latest impressive display by curling in a 25-meter shot in the 75th minute, adding another long-distance strike to his repertoire of recent stunning goals. "He's a joy to watch," Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers said of the 22-year-old Coutinho, one of the league's best players in 2015. "He's a kid who has so much ahead of him. A sensational footballer, and now he's starting to add the goals to mirror that quality."

Captain Jordan Henderson whipped in a near-identical finish to put Liverpool ahead in the 11th and although Edin Dzeko equalized in the 25th after a slick move, City was sluggish in a match it needed to win to keep the pressure on Chelsea.

City stayed five points behind Chelsea but has played a game more than the leaders, who beat Tottenham 2-0 in the League Cup final on Sunday at Wembley Stadium. "I think we never give up about the title," City manager Manuel Pellegrini said. "We must try to improve our play first."

Liverpool, which is unbeaten in the league since Dec. 14, climbed above Southampton to fifth and stayed two points behind Manchester United in the race for Champions League qualification. City managed to recover last April from Coutinho's winning goal — that time in the 78th minute — to go on a winning run and pip Liverpool to the title. It will take another huge effort to overcome Chelsea, especially on this evidence.

Liverpool was expected to be drained from a grueling Europa League journey in midweek to Besiktas, where it lost on penalties. The squad only returned to Liverpool at 4.30 a.m. on Friday. Yet, Brendan Rodgers' team looked fresher than a sluggish City. The hosts' pressing game was relentless and top City players like Yaya Toure and Samir Nasri struggled to keep possession.

"To prepare yourself for a game against the champions like that is no mean feat," Rodgers said. "To play and perform at that intensity, you have to admire that." And in Coutinho, Liverpool had the best player on the pitch, continuing his great run of form from the start of the year. Goals from long distance are becoming his speciality, having done so against Bolton in the FA Cup and Southampton in the league in the past month.

"The little magician at the end came up with a wonderful goal," Liverpool midfielder Adam Lallana said. "With players like that, we'll go far." Coutinho played a key role in Henderson's goal, nipping in front of Vincent Kompany to pounce on Pablo Zabaleta's weak, short pass. He played in Sterling, whose sideways ball was taken on by Henderson before the stand-in captain curled a shot home from outside the area.

Lallana wasted two great chances — and had a goal disallowed for a marginal offside — while Sterling also exposed City's weakness at center back to breeze past Eliaquim Mangala and shoot across the face of goal.

City was fortunate to be level at halftime. Aguero, who hit the post early on, cut inside and slipped in a pass that Dzeko — starting for the third straight game — ran onto and shot first time low into the corner.

City was one-paced after the break, despite the importance of picking up three points, and Liverpool created all the chances. Sterling miscued from in front of goal and another Lallana goal was ruled out for an earlier offside. Coutinho made no mistake, though, cutting inside past Samir Nasri and curling a shot beyond goalkeeper Joe Hart.

Aguero and David Silva had late chances for City, but an equalizer would have been harsh on Liverpool. "It is a significant win for us," Rodgers said."

Ajax wins 3-1 at league leader PSV Eindhoven

AMSTERDAM (AP) — Defending champion Ajax handed PSV its first home defeat of the season Sunday, beating the league leader 3-1 to cut the Eindhoven club's advantage at the top of the Eredivisie to 11 points.

Ricardo Kishna, Lasse Schone and Anwar El Ghazi scored for Ajax, while Luuk de Jong scored his 15th goal of the campaign for PSV. Kishna converted a cross by El Ghazi on the half hour to give Ajax the lead against the run of play in Eindhoven. De Jong equalized in the 77th before Schone's deflected 83rd-minute free kick restored Ajax's lead and El Ghazi's stoppage time goal sealed the three points.

Ajax coach Frank de Boer, who has led his team to four successive league titles, said he doesn't expect to make it five in a row even after the victory. "I don't expect PSV, with an 11-point lead, to have any problems," he said.

Feyenoord missed a chance to close in on Ajax when it was held to a goalless draw at FC Utrecht earlier Sunday. AZ Alkmaar went third by beating Willem II Tilburg 2-0 on Saturday.

Lazio beats Sassuolo 3-0 to keep up the pressure on Napoli

Photo: AP Lazio's Miroslav Klose celebrates after scoring during a Serie A soccer match against Sassuolo, at Reggio Emilia's Mapei stadium, Italy, Sunday, March 1, 2015.

MILAN (AP) — Lazio kept up the pressure on third-placed Napoli with a comfortable 3-0 win at Sassuolo in Serie A Sunday as the race for the final Champions League spot gathered pace.

Goals from Felipe Anderson, Miroslav Klose and Marco Parolo helped Lazio record its third successive win and move two points behind Napoli, which can go level with second-placed Roma with a victory at Torino later.

Mohamed Salah was on target again as Fiorentina remained a point behind Lazio following a 1-0 victory at Inter Milan, while Sampdoria was three points further back after coming from behind to win 2-1 at Atalanta.

In the lunchtime kickoff Cagliari lost a relegation battle 2-1 at home to Hellas Verona. Elsewhere, Palermo drew 0-0 at Empoli, while Cesena beat Udinese 1-0. Parma's match at Genoa was postponed, with the players protesting the situation at the financially-stricken club and the lack of help from the Italian footballing authorities.

It was the second match in a row Parma has postponed and all matches this weekend started 15 minutes late in a show of solidarity with the crisis-hit club. Sassuolo was struggling of late, losing its past two matches and Lazio broke the deadlock on the stroke of halftime. Francesco Acerbi headed out Seydou Keita's cross but only as far as Felipe Anderson, who curled a delightful shot into the top right corner from just outside the area.

The Brazilian was also involved in both Lazio's other goals, with a cross into the box for a Klose header in the 70th minute — shortly after the Germany forward had come off the bench — and a shot which took a series of ricochets before Parolo fired it home.

Both Fiorentina and Inter were in form and full of confidence after progressing to the Europa League round of 16 midweek. Inter had also won its past three league matches. Salah scored the only goal of the game 10 minutes into the second half, following up after Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic fumbled at Manuel Pasqual's cross and only succeeded in parrying it straight to the feet of the Egypt international.

It was Salah's third goal in his four Serie A matches since joining Fiorentina from Chelase. He also scored midweek against Tottenham Hotspur. Inter, which had earlier hit the post through Fredy Guarin, went close to the equalizer on several occasions.

Fiorentina ended the match with nine men after Nenad Tomovic and Stefan Savic were stretchered off with injuries. Sampdoria was looking to reignite its fight for third spot after a run of six matches without a win in all competition.

However, it was Atalanta which took the lead in the 16th minute when Guglielmo Stendardo tapped in Boukary Drame's cross. Luis Muriel leveled with a magnificent goal, chesting down Stefano Okaka's cross, letting it bounce and then smashing it under the bar on the half volley.

Samuel Eto'o almost scored his first goal since arriving at Samp from Everton in January with a powerful strike which Marco Sportiello fumbled and let it fall behind him, but Okaka pounced to make sure it crossed the line.

Atalanta remained three points above Cagliari and the drop zone. Luca Toni got Verona off to a great start in Sardinia with a great finish in the ninth minute and substitute Juanito Gomez Taleb nodded in a free kick to extend the visitors' lead in the 56th, just five seconds after coming off the bench.

Daniele Conti netted a consolation in the final minute as his free kick was allowed through. Cesena moved a point behind Cagliari after Alejandro Rodriguez headed home Franco Brienza's cross. There were plenty of chances in Palermo but no goals. Franco Vazquez went closest with an effort which smacked the crossbar. Incredibly it was the eighth time this season that the Palermo forward has hit the woodwork.

Wolfsburg, Moenchengladbach win in the Bundesliga

Photo: AP Moenchengladbach players celebrate the opening goal by Fabian Johnson from the US, during the German first division Bundesliga soccer match between Borussia Moenchengladbach and SC Paderborn in Moenchengladbach, Germany, Sunday March 1, 2015.

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Wolfsburg scored three quick goals early in the second half to end Werder Bremen's six-match unbeaten Bundesliga run with a 5-3 victory on Sunday.

Two goals apiece from Bas Dost and Daniel Caligiuri helped Wolfsburg come from behind and stay eight points adrift of leader Bayern Munich in second place. Earlier, Borussia Moenchengladbach strengthened its grip on third place with a 2-0 victory over Paderborn on Sunday.

In a wild match in Bremen, the goals kept happening in quick succession as Bremen took a 3-2 lead at halftime. But Wolfsburg capitalized on mistakes by Bremen's defense early in the second half to turn the match around.

"The matches here are always something special," said Wolfsburg's defender Naldo, who once played for Werder. "Werder was excellent in the first half but we were cleverer in the second." Wolfsburg scored three goals within five minutes, between the 48th and 53rd. Dost, who now has 12 Bundesliga goals in the last six matches, notched the first two from close range on feeds from Kevin de Bruyne.

Dost, the hottest striker in the league, then beat an offside trap to set up Caligiuri for Wolfsburg's fifth. In a spectacular first half, Bremen went ahead in the ninth through Zlatko Junuzovic, who was set up by Levan Oztunali's square pass.

Only one minute later, Wolfsburg pulled level. Marcel Schaefer, whose slip had allowed Oztunali to pass, broke through on the left and sent in a good cross that goalkeeper Raphael Wolf could not hold. The ball fell to Caligiuri, who slammed it home.

Bremen regained the lead in the 16th, again on a cross from Oztunali that was volleyed in by Franco di Santo. The answer again came almost immediately. De Bruyne had too much space to cross and Max Arnold scored with a diving header in the 18th.

Bremen came back in the 29th. Felix Kroos' powerful shot was turned away into a corner. Goalkeeper Diego Benaglio punched the ball away, only for Kroos to fire back at the goal. It would have gone wide but Vieirinha's attempt to kick it away ended up with the ball slipping through his legs into the net in the 29th.

The match was played amid heightened security following warnings of a possible terror attack in Bremen over the weekend. Two deflected shots secured Moenchengladbach's victory and a four-point cushion over fourth-place Bayer Leverkusen.

Fabian Johnson's deflected shot from 20 meters (yards) in the 18th put Moenchengladbach in the lead. Johnson played a role in the second goal as well, when his cross was palmed away by goalkeeper Lukas Kruse. The ball fell to substitute Patrick Herrmann, whose shot was also deflected and left Kruse wrong-footed.

Paderborn slipped down to 16th and is in the danger zone for the first time since being promoted.

League Cup: Chelsea beats Spurs for 1st title win in 3 years

Photo: AP Tottenham’s Eric Dier, left gets away from Chelsea's Diego Costa during the English League Cup Final between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea at Wembley stadium in London, Sunday, March, 1, 2015.

LONDON (AP) — Captain John Terry led Chelsea to its first trophy in two years on Sunday, scoring the opener in a 2-0 victory over Tottenham in the League Cup final.

At the heart of Chelsea's defense still at 34, Terry helped to successfully contain Tottenham throughout the first half and then made the scoring breakthrough in the 45th minute when his strike took a slight deflection off defender Eric Dier.

"We handled the game well and the pressure well," said Terry, whose contract expires at the end of the season. "I don't see it as my last (visit to Wembley), hopefully there are many more to come for me."

Chelsea's first trophy since the 2013 Europa League was secured when another Tottenham defender, Kyle Walker, deflected striker Diego Costa's shot into the net in the 56th minute. A decade after Jose Mourinho started his Chelsea managerial career by lifting the League Cup, the competition gave him the first title of his second spell in charge. And it ended his longest trophy drought in management, having last won the 2012 Spanish title with Real Madrid before rejoining Chelsea in 2013.

The Portuguese, who collected the League Cup twice in his 2004-07 Chelsea reign, remains in contention this season to also win for the Champions League and the Premier League. What made Sunday even better for Chelsea was second-place Manchester City losing to leave Chelsea five points in front — now with a game in hand.

"This is the first one and we have to build on it," Terry said. "Hopefully we can kick on now." For Tottenham it is the second cup disappointment in three days, having exited the Europa League at Fiorentina on Thursday. Mauricio Pochettino's first season in charge of Tottenham will be a trophyless one, but his young team is still developing.

Two months ago to the day Tottenham stunned Chelsea 5-3 on Jan. 1, but the west London club managed to largely thwart Christian Eriksen and Harry Kane this time. The suspension of Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Matic led to center back Kurt Zouma being deployed as the defensive shield. Despite Zouma seeming unsure of his role at the time, the defense was marshalled masterfully by Terry.

Much of the pressing and threat came from Tottenham earlier on. When Kane was brought down on edge of the penalty area by Cesc Fabregas, Eriksen's dipping free kick hit the crossbar. And after Kane carried the ball forward from the halfway line to the edge of the area, the breakthrough star of the season saw a low shot saved by Petr Cech.

Although Chelsea used the final to rest first-choice goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, Michel Vorm lost his usual spot in goal for Tottenham's cup games in favor of Hugo Lloris. The captain was beaten on the stroke of half time having had little to do before then. Willian's free kick was half cleared by Dier and Terry's low shot was then helped over the line by the defender's deflection.

Lloris did limit the damage before the break by collecting Gary Cahill's header, and then saving Fabregas' overhead kick at the start of the second half. But after Fabregas threaded the ball through to Costa, the Spain striker beat Lloris at his near post. It was game over. And a fine intervention from Terry in the penalty area in the 87th prevented Kane from giving Tottenham any hope of a comeback.

"The first half was even, but (the) second half we controlled it a bit better and deserved the win," Terry said.

Giroud bounces back to score as Arsenal beats Everton 2-0

Photo: AP Arsenal's Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, left, is tackled by Everton's Muhamed Besic during their English Premier League soccer match at the Emirates Stadium, London, Sunday, March 1, 2015.

LONDON (AP) — Olivier Giroud bounced back from a wretched midweek performance in the Champions League to set Arsenal on its way to a 2-0 win over Everton that trimmed the gap to second-place Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday.

The France striker, who missed several chances and was substituted early in a 3-1 home defeat to Monaco on Wednesday, volleyed in Mesut Ozil's corner to give Arsenal a 39th-minute lead at the Emirates.

Substitute Tomas Rosicky added a second goal from a deflected shot in the 89th to seal a seventh win in eight league games, keeping Arsenal in third place and only four behind City. The champions lost 2-1 at Liverpool earlier Sunday.

"The result was very significant for the rest of the season," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said. "It is tight at the top of the table. It is down to consistency." Giroud started despite his woes against Monaco and the striker responded with a fourth goal in his last four games.

"Arsene Wenger gave me the possibility to bounce back," Giroud said. "We wanted to do that together and I think we did well." Everton was challenging for Champions League football last season but now is in danger of being sucked into the relegation scrap. With only one win in the league since Dec. 20, Roberto Martinez's team is six points off the bottom three and only threatened sporadically against Arsenal.

"We didn't deserve the score line, that is for sure," Martinez said. "I thought we did many good things. "It will take a bit of momentum in terms of results. If you get two or three wins everything changes."

Benfica thrashes Estoril 6-0 to extend lead in Portugal

LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Benfica thrashed Estoril 6-0 at home to increase its overnight lead of the Portuguese league on Saturday.

The defending champion opened a seven-point gap over FC Porto, which hosts third-place Sporting Lisbon on Sunday. Defender Luisao opened the scoring in the 16th minute when he headed in a pass from Luis "Pizzi" Afonso.

Eduardo Salvio, Pizzi and Jonas added goals before halftime. Lima then converted a penalty before Estoril's Anderson Esiti was sent off for a second booking in the 70th. Jonas got his second goal with four to play.

Fourth-place Braga also won 2-0 at Rio Ave to pull within one point of Sporting. Boavista drew 1-1 at Gil Vicente. Nacional's home match with Setubal was postponed until Sunday because of fog.

AC Milan fails again to win 2 in a row in Serie A

VERONA, Italy (AP) — AC Milan was held to a goalless draw at relegation-threatened Chievo Verona in Serie A on Saturday as it once again failed to win consecutive matches.

Filippo Inzaghi's team doesn't have two successive victories since October, and remained ninth ahead of the rest of the weekend fixtures. Chievo earned a valuable point in its battle to survive the drop, and moved provisionally five points clear of the bottom three.

The best chance of the match fell to Milan's Keisuke Honda, who hit the crossbar at the start of the second half. Milan goalkeeper Diego Lopez, who returned from suspension, was also forced into two good saves as Chievo looked for its first win against the Rossoneri since 2005.

The match started 15 minutes late in a show of solidarity to crisis-hit Parma. The Italian Players Association announced on Thursday that all Serie A squads will go on the field 15 minutes late this weekend.

Milan's injury problems in defense worsened this week after Adil Rami was diagnosed with a right calf problem, joining the likes of Cristian Zapata, Ignazio Abate, Mattia De Sciglio, Pablo Armero and Cristian Zaccardo on the Rossoneri's unavailable list.

However, Philippe Mexes returned from his four-match ban for grabbing Lazio captain Stefano Mauri by the neck. The first half was a turgid affair, with the best chance falling to Sergio Pellissier, who skipped past Salvatore Bocchetti and forced Lopez to rush out and parry at his feet. The ball then ricocheted off Luca Antonelli, who recovered to clear off the line.

Honda replaced Riccardo Montolivo at halftime and almost immediately broke the deadlock but his fierce effort crashed off the crossbar. The match briefly threatened to spark into life as Lopez made a fingertip save to deny Ezequiel Schelotto, then a crucial Federico Mattiello intervention — in his first Serie A start — prevented Giampaolo Pazzini from tapping in following a Jeremy Menez counterattack.

Shortly afterwards, former Milan forward Alberto Paloschi almost scored against his old club moments after coming off the bench but Lopez pushed his effort over the bar.

Dortmund beats Schalke 3-0 for 4th straight Bundesliga win

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Borussia Dortmund beat Schalke 3-0 in the Ruhr Derby on Saturday for its fourth consecutive Bundesliga victory.

After missing half a dozen chances in the first half, Dortmund's attack came alive late, with goals from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Marco Reus in the last 12 minutes of the biggest derby in German football.

The home victory continued Dortmund's climb from the bottom of the table, and Jurgen Klopp's team is now six points away from danger. "It was a perfect afternoon," Klopp said. "We played a great game from the first to the last minute. We have to continue this way."

Elsewhere, bottom-place Stuttgart earned a 1-1 draw in Hannover, with both teams finishing the match with 10 men; Hoffenheim beat Mainz 2-0; Hertha Berlin edged Augsburg 1-0; Bayer Leverkusen defeated Freiburg 1-0; and Alexandar Meier scored both goals for Eintracht Frankfurt to edge 10-man Hamburger SV 2-1.

Runaway leader Bayern Munich beat Cologne 4-1 on Friday. Dortmund dominated the derby but Schalke stayed in the match thanks to the inefficiency of Dortmund strikers and some good saves by 19-year-old Timon Wellenreuther, normally third-choice goalkeeper but playing because of injuries to the other two.

Not until the 78th did the first goal come, Aubameyang scoring a deflected shot by Mkhitaryan, who doubled the lead one minute later as Schalke's defense collapsed. After the first goal, Aubameyang and Reus went through their routine celebration while wearing Batman and Robin masks.

In the 86th, Wellenreuther showed his inexperience when he allowed Reus to rob him of the ball and score. "There is no better feeling," Reus said after his team's first home win over Schalke since 2011. "It's the biggest game of the season for us."

Schalke coach Roberto di Matteo said he wanted to apologize to the fans after his team's third straight match without a win. "It was a difficult day for us. We have to think about how we want to proceed."

In Frankfurt, Meier converted from the spot after Lucas Piazon was downed by Johan Djourou. Hamburg equalized in first-half injury time after a neat one-two between Nicolai Mueller and Zoltan Stieber. But Hamburg failed to clear the ball far enough in the 54th and Meier slotted home from the edge of the box for his 16th goal of the season.

Hamburg's Matthias Ostrzolek was sent off, but the visiting side held on for the last 25 minutes without conceding another goal. In stoppage time, Djourou gave up his second penalty but this time Meier sent the spot kick against the crossbar.

Leverkusen ended a three-match winless run and jumped to fourth place after a first-half goal from captain Simon Rolfes. Despite the point in Hannover, Stuttgart remains in last place. Stuttgart led through Christian Gentner but Lars Stindl equalized. Stindl and Stuttgart's Martin Harnik were sent off late after shoving and pushing each other.

Salomon Kalou's late goal allowed Hertha Berlin to escape from the danger zone, while Augsburg slumped to its fourth match without a win. In his second game in charge, new Mainz coach Martin Schmidt fell to his first defeat, with Hoffenheim's Kevin Volland and Eugen Polanski scoring in the second half.