Adolfo Gaich inflicted the latest blow on Andrea Pirlo and Juventus as lowly Benevento snatched a stunning 1-0 win in Turin.

A wretched pass from Juventus midfielder Arthur was seized upon by striker Gaich, who drilled a powerful finish beyond Wojciech Szczesny for the 69th-minute winner.

Coach Pirlo looked askance on the touchline as his team suffered another defeat, with this one leaving them 10 points behind leaders Inter, their hopes of a 10th successive Serie A title in tatters.

They had chances in this game and a penalty decision overturned after a VAR review, but were left counting the cost of one careless mistake.

Cristiano Ronaldo struck a low shot six inches wide of the left post in the third minute, in an early warning from Juventus.

Alvaro Morata, who scored but was also sent off after the final whistle when these sides draw 1-1 in November, was the next Juve player to have a significant sight of goal. The Spanish striker outsmarted the Benevento defence and ran through the centre before his low shot was blocked by goalkeeper Lorenzo Montipo.

Juventus were awarded a penalty in the 35th minute when referee Rosario Abisso thought defender Daam Foulon handled a cross from Dejan Kulusevski, but the official changed his mind after reviewing on a pitchside monitor.

Matthijs de Ligt had a firm header well saved by Montipo, and moments later Ronaldo skilfully volleyed in a cross from Kulusevski but had strayed a yard offside. Ronaldo then tried his luck with a thumping drive from 25 yards, but again Montipo resisted as the half ended goalless.

A drab start to the second half was almost followed by an own goal, with Benevento's Federico Barba turning the latest cross from the right by Kulusevski towards his own goal, with Montipo making a smart reaction save.

Then came the shock of Benevento going ahead, with a terrible pass across the penalty area from Arthur, in the left-back position, intercepted by Gaich. The Argentine striker fended off a weak challenge from Danilo and rammed the ball into the bottom left corner.

Ronaldo failed to put away a late half-chance and Danilo fired over from close range as Juventus scrambled to get back in the game, but it was not their day.

Chelsea's unbeaten start under Thomas Tuchel rolled on as Oliver Norwood's own goal and a late Hakim Ziyech strike sent the Blues into the FA Cup semi-finals with a 2-0 win over Sheffield United.

Appearing in their 15th FA Cup quarter-final since the turn of the century – the most of any side – Chelsea were not at their sharpest at Stamford Bridge on Sunday but, as they have done in many of their 14 matches under Tuchel so far, managed to grind out a result.

Norwood's own goal put Chelsea ahead, with David McGoldrick missing a golden chance to restore parity when he headed wide from five yards out.

Chelsea made their fortune count, holding firm in rather nervy fashion before hitting the Blades on the break and securing their progression thanks to Ziyech, reaching the semi-finals for the fourth time in five seasons.

Playing at the end of a difficult week personally following the death of his brother, Phil Jagielka might have put United ahead early on but failed to generate enough power on his header to trouble Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Yet United's bright start ultimately proved fruitless – Chelsea striking first when Norwood diverted Ben Chilwell's effort beyond Aaron Ramsdale.

Norwood was almost at fault for another goal before half-time when his stray pass was intercepted by Christian Pulisic, though Ramsdale rushed out to spare his team-mate's blushes.

Displaying some terrific footwork, Pulisic engineered another chance straight after the restart, but Ramsdale again stood firm.

McGoldrick should have built on Ramsdale's save, only to head wide of a gaping goal from point-blank range.

Kepa had work to do soon after – McGoldrick's strike partner Oli McBurnie forcing a smart save out of the Spaniard.

Rhian Brewster then saw a strike deflected into the side netting, yet for all United's pressure, Chelsea dealt the knockout blow when substitute Ziyech drilled in from close range at the end of a sweeping counter to ensure the Blues progressed.

Alfredo Morelos finally broke his Old Firm duck, netting to give freshly crowned Scottish Premiership champions Rangers a 1-1 draw at Celtic.

Steven Gerrard's side dropped points for only the fifth time this season after Mohamed Elyounoussi put Celtic ahead, but Rangers remain undefeated in their top-flight campaign.

The usual hostilities were put aside during a show of pre-match unity from both teams, in response to Rangers midfielder Glen Kamara being allegedly subjected to racist abuse during their midweek Europa League defeat to Slavia Prague.

However, Morelos customarily ensured some of the old devilment remained when he scored in the league derby at the 13th time of asking – holding up 10 fingers in celebration to mock Celtic failing to a win a record-breaking 10th consecutive title this season.

Celtic, playing under caretaker manager John Kennedy, deserved their 23rd-minute breakthrough.

Callum McGregor slid a pass in behind Rangers right-back Leon Balogun and Odsonne Edouard's superb left-footed cross was matched by Elyounoussi's full-length diving header.

Edouard tormented Balogun and the rest of the Rangers defence at times, although referee Willie Collum adjudged him to have dived under a sprawling challenge from Borna Barisic and dished out a yellow card before the half hour.

Rangers were level in the 38th minute – Balogun atoning for his part in the opener by rising highest to meet Barisic's corner and leaving Morelos with the formality of nodding home unmarked at the far post.

That sparked a flurry of activity at both ends before half-time as Allan McGregor recovered to retrieve an Edouard effort that squirmed through his legs, before opposite number Scott Bain in the Celtic goal kept out a sublime Ryan Kent volley.

The champions continued to look vulnerable to set-pieces, with Elyounoussi and Stephen Welsh going close either side of the interval.

McGregor was equal to an Edouard long-ranger and then thwarted David Turnbull in the 72nd minute after the midfielder was played in by Ryan Christie.

Unsurprisingly, Edouard reacted quicker than any Rangers player to the resulting corner, but Gerrard's men kept their unbeaten league record intact.

Ronald Koeman and new president Joan Laporta will map out Barcelona's future during the international break, and going Dutch would be in keeping with Camp Nou tradition.

The club which has been a magnet to Netherlands greats of the past may see more Oranje stars arriving, with Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum said to be a prime target.

According to the Sunday Times, Wijnaldum has a pre-contract agreement to move to Barcelona when his Anfield deal expires at the end of the season.

Reuniting with former national team coach Koeman would hold obvious appeal to Wijnaldum, who has been circumspect about his Liverpool future.

But what would Wijnaldum bring to a team already in the hunt for a domestic double? At the age of 30, would this signing make sense for Barca?

What options do Barcelona already have?

It may not be a vintage midfield of the type Pep Guardiola was blessed with, Sergio Busquets being the last survivor of that era in the centre of the pitch, but Barca are not badly off for talent.

Busquets and Miralem Pjanic bring the experience, Pedri the youthful exuberance and Frenkie de Jong is proven quality as he approaches his mid-20s.

They have the attacking option of Philippe Coutinho – who has been out injured since December – while Riqui Puig is a talent who Koeman appears unsure about.

Busquets and De Jong look a strong midfield pair, covering plenty of the pitch, with De Jong the likelier to roam away from the central channel.

What difference would Wijnaldum make?

At the age of 30, 'Gini' would not be bringing down the average age, even though that must surely soon become a priority for Koeman.

The head coach knows all about Wijnaldum's game from their time together in the Dutch national set-up, so there is a trust factor there, and to get an international player on a free transfer, albeit with high wages, could be seen as a good deal.

Yet to delve into this season's data, there appear to be very few areas where Wijnaldum excels above Barcelona's current crop.

Three goals and zero assists in 40 matches from Wijnaldum pales against what Pedri (three goals, six assists) and De Jong (six goals, five assists) have achieved from a similar number of games; however, it puts him ahead of Busquets (no goals, two assists) and Pjanic (no goals, no assists).

Wijnaldum's 18 chances created is fewer than what each member of that Barcelona quartet has achieved (Pedri 49, De Jong 38, Busquets 30, Pjanic 20), and although he is considered strong in the air, his 36 aerial battles won is bettered by De Jong and Busquets (both 45).

The former Newcastle United and PSV man has taken more shots (31) than any of that Barca midfield four, with Pedri (27) leading the way among those Blaugrana players, but he has too often failed to be clinical.

There are defensive qualities to Wijnaldum's game, and he has made 201 ball recoveries for Liverpool. Busquets (203), De Jong (234) and Pedri (173) suggest Barca are already handily equipped on that front.

If Wijnaldum is being signed as a replacement – say, if Pjanic is moved on to bring in such much-needed funds – then there could be merit in his arrival.

Otherwise, he looks to be just extra midfield stock.

Tackling a big issue

Wijnaldum's tackle success rate has nosedived in the 2020-21 season, having already been on a gradual decline during his career in England.

During his year at Newcastle in the 2015-16 season, Wijnaldum won 84.21 per cent of his tackles, and after three seasons of 60-plus percentage success with Liverpool, his rate dipped to 53.19 last term, though in a championship-winning campaign that hardly felt significant.

This season, however, it has crashed to 29.63 per cent, with his performance indicative of Liverpool's lame follow-up to their Premier League title triumph.

Such a rate would not cut it at Barca, where Puig (37.5 per cent) is the only midfielder with tackling success under 50 per cent this season. Busquets (58.46 per cent), De Jong (58.33) and Pedri (57.89) are the engine room players who have done most of the heavy lifting, setting the sort of standard any newcomer must expect to achieve.

Koeman favourite he may be, but Wijnaldum, a Champions League and Premier League winner with Liverpool, cannot live off past glories.

Barcelona will need an upswing to follow that downswing. After all, when Koeman said he wanted to bring a lad in, he really meant a Gini with bottle.

Hansi Flick will not be leaving his post at Bayern Munich any time soon, according to the Bundesliga giant's chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.

Flick, who won a remarkable sextuple in his first year as Bayern's head coach, has been mooted as the DFB's preferred successor to Joachim Low, who will end his tenure as Germany boss following this year's Euros.

The 56-year-old was Low's assistant coach for almost eight years, from August 2006 to July 2014, leaving his role after Germany's World Cup triumph.

Bayern have been the form side in Europe in Flick's time in charge, and despite a shock exit in the DFB-Pokal earlier this season, are still well in the hunt for a Bundesliga and Champions League double.

Robert Lewandowski scored a first-half hat-trick as Bayern made it six wins on the bounce on Saturday by thrashing Stuttgart 4-0, with a potentially decisive top-of-the-table clash with RB Leipzig up next after the international break, before the Bavarians take on Paris Saint-Germain – who they beat in last year's final – in the Champions League.

However, amid the speculation over who will take over from Low, Rummenigge has insisted Flick is going nowhere.

"I told him that we are very satisfied with him," Rummenigge told German publication Welt am Sonntag when asked about Flick's future.

"We are well advised to finish what we have agreed in the contract. I told Hansi that in no uncertain terms.

"[This has] nothing to do with probability. That is a fact."

On Saturday, Low hailed Flick as a potentially perfect candidate to replace him, though when asked for his thoughts on Low's praise, Bayern's coach replied: "It hasn't changed anything about the whole thing. There's nothing more to say about that."

Flick is under contract with Bayern until 2023, and Rummenigge also claimed that the DFB had confirmed they do not wish to appoint a coach that is already tied to a club.

If Rummenigge is to be believed, this would also rule out moves for Leipzig's Julian Nagelsmann and Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.

Adelaide United racked up a fifth successive A-League victory and jumped to third place as Carl Veart's team cruised to a 4-1 away win over Newcastle Jets.

Goals from Kusini Yengi, Stefan Mauk, Ben Halloran and Craig Goodwin put Adelaide 4-0 up at the break, with lowly Newcastle's reply coming from Apostolos Stamatelopoulos midway through the second half.

The pre-match omens were poor for Newcastle, with Adelaide having won five times and lost only once in their last eight A-League clashes with the Jets, including a 2-1 victory earlier in March.

Yengi dispossessed home captain Nigel Boogaard much too easily and was able to slot a simple fifth-minute opener, before Mauk scored his sixth goal of the season by turning in a cross on 11 minutes as the Newcastle defence stood and watched.

Head coach Veart watched admiringly as Halloran tucked in the third from a tight angle in the 40th minute, with a penalty from Goodwin stretching the lead three minutes later after Yengi was ruled to have been tripped.

Newcastle had won just one of their last five A-League games at McDonald Jones Stadium and this contest had effectively slipped beyond the Jets' reach after a dreadful first-half performance.

Former Adelaide forward Stamatelopoulos headed a consolation in the 69th minute, but Newcastle stay second-bottom of the 12-team league.

Wellington Phoenix and Brisbane Roar split the points in a 1-1 draw earlier at the same stadium, as Newcastle staged a double-header.

Tomer Hemed fired Wellington ahead in the 42nd minute with a precise shot into the left corner from 15 yards after James McGarry's cross from the left was blocked.

Brisbane pushed hard for a leveller in the second half and substitute Golgol Mebrahtu found it in the 86th minute, diving in at the far post to nod in Macaulay Gillesphey's expert delivery from a deep position on the left flank.

Gillesphey was sent off in stoppage time for pulling down Jaushua Sotirio as he charged through in search of a winner for Wellington.

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer confirmed the club are in contract discussions with Edinson Cavani.

Cavani joined United as a free agent on a one-year deal at the start of the season and the 34-year-old has impressed in Manchester, where the Uruguayan has scored seven goals and supplied two assists across 25 appearances in all competitions.

Paris Saint-Germain's all-time leading scorer, Cavani has been linked with Argentine powerhouse Boca Juniors following comments made by his father Luis.

But Solskjaer said United – second in the Premier League standings – are in talks with Cavani over his future at Old Trafford.

"We're speaking to Eddy," Solskjaer said ahead of Sunday's FA Cup quarter-final against Leicester City.

"Edinson is a top striker and whatever he decides to do, let's see. We're in good dialogue with him.

"We want a competitive squad and we need someone up there to score the goals for us. So we're looking at it."

Earlier this month, Cavani's father Luis claimed the veteran was not happy in the Premier League and "would like to play for Boca".

"My son is not happy in England and wants to return nearer his family. He wants to play in South America," he told TyC Sports.

"I want Edinson to play for a team which fights for important trophies. He has had many conversations with [Boca vice-president Juan Roman] Riquelme and would like to play for Boca.

"At the halfway point of the year, he'd like to return to South America. My son’s idea is not to continue there [in Manchester]. He wants to return.

"I think he's going to come back in June this year."

Cavani Sr cited his son's punishment by the Football Association (FA) for using a racially insensitive word in a social media post as a factor in his unhappiness.

"There are things which sometimes annoy us as humans, as people. The whole ban issue annoyed him," Luis Cavani added.

"That has been playing on him, sometimes players can't find form either. These things can weigh heavy on you. Sometimes mentally you can get dragged down."

Could Manchester United turn to a Wolves star?

United have long been linked with Borussia Dortmund's Jadon Sancho.

But the Red Devils are reportedly interested in Pedro Neto.

TOP STORY – UNITED PLAN NETO SWOOP

Manchester United are considering a £50million move for Wolves star Pedro Neto , according to The Sun.

Borussia Dortmund's  Jadon Sancho  has topped United's list of attacking targets – the Premier League giants almost signed the England international at the start of the season.

But United see Portuguese winger Neto as an alternative at Old Trafford.

ROUND-UP

- The Sun reports Serie A leaders Inter have joined the chase for Manchester City forward Sergio Aguero , who is out of contract at season's end. City's all-time leading goalscorer has been linked with Barcelona , Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea . The Nerazzurri are also reportedly monitoring Edinson Cavani 's situation. The United forward, who signed a one-year deal at the start of the season, is rumoured to be talking to Boca Juniors .

-  Real Madrid will pay David Alaba , his father and agent €20m if he arrives from Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich, claims Mundo Deportivo. Alaba's contract will expire at the end of the season and the Austria international has been tipped to move to the Santiago Bernabeu. However, Barca , Liverpool and PSG have also been linked.

- Calciomercato says Roma , Inter and Milan are interested in Udinese goalkeeper Juan Musso .

-  Milan are considering a move for CSKA Moscow star Nikola Vlasic  should Hakan Calhanoglu leave on a free transfer, reports Calciomercato. While the Croatia international has a €35m release clause for foreign clubs, Russian giants CSKA could settle for €28-30m.

Sevilla head coach Julen Lopetegui was thrilled to see goalkeeper Yassine Bounou make history with his last-gasp goal against Real Valladolid in LaLiga.

Bounou scored an incredible 94th-minute equaliser to rescue a 1-1 draw for visiting Sevilla at Valladolid on Saturday.

Seeking a late leveller, Sevilla sent goalkeeper Bounou forward and the Morocco international smashed home the equaliser at the death following a corner.

Bounou became the first goalkeeper in Sevilla's history to score in LaLiga – Andres Palop netted for the club in the UEFA Cup in 2007 – while the previous shot-stopper in the Spanish top flight to score from a non-penalty situation in the 21st century was Deportivo La Coruna's Dani Aranzubia in 2011.

Lopetegui – a former goalkeeper for Real Madrid, Barcelona, Spain and Rayo Vallecano – praised the 29-year-old Bounou.

"I've never scored a goal, not even in training but obviously it's a great goal from our goalkeeper today," Lopetegui told reporters post-match.

"It's not normal but it gave us some joy at the end of the game when we could have got three points, but it looked like we were going to come away empty handed.

"I just managed to speak to Bono after the game and obviously congratulate him. I am sure there were a few jokes in the dressing room surrounding Andres Palop's goal [for Sevilla] because everyone remembers that and it was obviously a very, very important goal in the Europa League and today was a very important goal for us as it came in the final minutes of the game and it helped us rescue a point.

"We're very satisfied that we didn't give up and we kept fighting to try and get back in the game. We kept on pushing and that is one of the characteristics of our team, and we got our reward." 

Bounou added: "The goal fell to me and I am grateful… the feeling is difficult to describe because I didn't know how to celebrate it.

"It's very strange, but hey, the team-mates were happy because we deserved more."

Borussia Dortmund star Jude Bellingham revealed he received racist abuse on social media as the Bundesliga club and England showed their support.

Bellingham was the subject of abuse following Dortmund's 2-2 draw with Cologne in the Bundesliga on Saturday.

The 17-year-old England midfielder shared a screen grab of racist emojis that were sent to him via Instagram, with the caption: "Just another day on social media…"

Dortmund condemned racism post-match, tweeting: "We stand with you @BellinghamJude. Racism belongs nowhere #BorussiaVerbindet."

England also showed their support on Twitter, adding:  "We continue to be disgusted by the discriminatory abuse our players - and others across the game - are being subjected to online.

"Something needs to change. We stand with you, @BellinghamJude."

Bellingham has score one goal in 35 appearances in all competitions for Dortmund after arriving from Birmingham City at the start of the season.

Dortmund are fifth in the standings, four points adrift of the top four and 18 points behind leaders Bayern Munich.

Bellingham and Dortmund are set to face Manchester City in the Champions League quarter-finals.

Borussia Dortmund interim head coach Edin Terzic hailed Erling Haaland but insisted the Bundesliga club cannot always rely on the star forward following his brace.

Haaland scored twice – including a 90th-minute equaliser – as Dortmund salvaged a 2-2 draw away to lowly Cologne on Saturday.

Linked with Manchester City, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Chelsea, Liverpool, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus, Haaland opened the scoring in the third minute.

However, two unanswered goals put Cologne ahead before Haaland rescued a point for Dortmund with a last-gasp leveller on the road.

Haaland has scored 14 away goals in the Bundesliga this season – more than Werder Bremen (13), Hertha Berlin (13), Mainz (11), Arminia Bielefeld (10) and Schalke (eight) have scored at home in 2020-21 as Terzic lauded the Norway international.

"Erling's qualities can't be hidden from anyone," Terzic told reporters post-match after Haaland left the field frustrated.

"He scored another two goals today and had, I think, five chances in total. But sill you could see his disappointment today because he wanted to leave the pitch with three points.

"His will to win is what makes him so special. He shows that to us every day and to the rest one or two times a week.

"We are very happy to have him with us but that doesn't mean that we will do less. We will keep on helping him so he can help us."

Pep Guardiola believes Manchester City's form over the past four months is one of the "greatest achievements" since he joined the club in 2016. 

City claimed a 2-0 win over Everton at Goodison Park on Saturday to reach the FA Cup semi-finals for the third season in succession – the first time they have achieved the feat since between 1931-32 and 1933-34.

The result marked a new club record of 17 consecutive away matches unbeaten, breaking the record previously set between January and September in 1999. 

Since City's defeat to Tottenham on November 21, they have won 29 of their 33 matches across all competitions, losing just once – to neighbours Manchester United in the Premier League earlier this month. 

And Guardiola attributed his side's stunning form to their ability to adjust to different challenges. 

"We have to adapt; every game is different," he told a media conference after the win at Goodison Park. "Managers know what they have to do.

"But when you win a lot of games like we have in the last four months, it's because you can adapt. That pleases me the most. It's not just tactics, it's mental; being ready every game.

"What we have done is more than remarkable. It's incredible. One of the greatest achievements we have done together.

"We haven't won anything yet, so we will be focused and we will see how far we arrive in the competitions.

"In this period, playing every three days, with incredible commitment in every competition, I don't have any words to express that."

While City dominated proceedings against the Toffees – restricting the hosts to their lowest possession figure (26 per cent) in all competitions since March 2018 – they had to wait until the 84th minute to make the breakthrough. 

It came courtesy of Ilkay Gundogan's 12th goal in all competitions since the turn of the year, which is more than any other Premier League player. 

Kevin De Bruye added a second six minutes later, and Guardiola was pleased with his side's patience against dogged opponents.

"We knew how tough it would be; the FA Cup, away, against Everton," he added. "They defend incredibly well and have pace with Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

"Every throw is like a corner and they have big players, like [Yerry] Mina. These games need patience. We knew the team who scored would win the game.

"All the players were fantastic and Riyad [Mahrez] and Kevin in the last minutes could change the rhythm. We found the goal and we are in the semi-final.

"We knew it would be one of the toughest games we would face."

Thomas Tuchel has warned his Chelsea stars they must not develop a fear of losing as they bid to extend their unbeaten run under his leadership.

Former Paris Saint-Germain head coach Tuchel believes having an obsession with avoiding defeat can peck away at the appetite to win, and he pointed to discussions with a top cycling boss as reinforcing his views.

Tuchel did not name the Team Sky leader with whom he once spoke about the mentality needed to be a champion in sport.

That individual was likely to have been Dave Brailsford, the long-time manager of the cycling squad which has since been rebranded as Team INEOS.

"I spoke many years ago here in London to the leader of the cycling team of Sky, and he was very, very concerned about the feeling, not to enter a state of mind where you fear the loss more than the hunger, than the adventure to maybe win," Tuchel said.

"To refocus is always at the process. If we look too much at what we have achieved... maybe you step back and want to protect it, but I want us always to be brave and go for the next win and not to avoid the loss."

Chelsea face Sheffield United in the FA Cup quarter-finals at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, looking to go deeper into the competition as Tuchel looks for a trophy from his first half-season at the helm.

By racking up 13 games unbeaten since taking over, Tuchel has established a club record for the longest run of games without defeat by a new Chelsea boss.

"The record is already history and the next game is Sheffield. This one game, this is the most important," Tuchel said.

"I demand from myself and the team and everybody the maximum and then we will see. If we have all this, it is possible to have big records, but I hope we don't enter into situations where we are more afraid of losing a record than winning the next game."

The Blues are also through to the Champions League quarter-finals and are chasing a top-four finish in the Premier League.

Tuchel says he has never treated any match as more important than another and says his players must "control our energy and our mentality", even if they cannot be certain of achieving the right results.

"This is what I demand from my team: to prepare in the best way possible and get the head straight and be out with the same competitive attitude like we played the last 13 matches," he said. "This is it at the highest level. You can never relax."

When it comes to his squad, Tuchel knows he cannot keep every player entirely happy, with the likes of Tammy Abraham and Billy Gilmour struggling to break into his team at present.

He is determined to stay close to every player and keep them fully connected with his plans for them.

"Is there always good news in these talks? No, there is not," Tuchel said. "But if you need to give the feedback, this is clearly my job to do, to give honest feedback, open feedback, direct feedback.

"And so, it makes it easier for them to understand what we expect and what role they can fulfil, even if it maybe does not match with the way they wanted to have it.

"There are hard decisions to make, which is a good thing, because it shows you have a good squad."

Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan has warned his team-mates that opponents will try to derail their quadruple bid with negative tactics.

City claimed a 2-0 win over Everton at Goodison Park on Saturday to reach the FA Cup semi-finals for the third season in succession – the first time they have achieved the feat since 1931-32 and 1933-34.

The victory, courtesy of goals from Gundogan and Kevin De Bruyne, was hard fought as a defensive-minded Everton side packed men behind the ball, happy to surrender the majority of the ball to City. 

Indeed, Everton's total possession of 25.9 per cent was their lowest since a fixture against Pep Guardiola's side in March 2018 (18 per cent).

Midfielder Gundogan praised City's patience against the Toffees and predicted matches of this ilk will become common as they chase an unprecedented clean sweep of trophies.

"There will be a few more games like this I think," Gundogan told BT Sport.

"But we have to be ready for them. If you want to win trophies and fight for everything, you have to find a way to win.

"We don't always make the best kind of football but it's about staying in the game and finding the right moments, being patient.

"Everton did really well, they defended well and they are a great team, so it's not easy. We knew that we could struggle before the game but we overcame it and we did really well."

Gundogan has scored 12 goals in 2021, more than any other Premier League player in all competitions, as he bagged his first headed goal for City since December 2018 against Crystal Palace..

The Germany international, who has also netted in three consecutive matches for City for the first time, is relishing his current goalscoring form.

He added: "I just tried to be there waiting for the rebound. I think the timing was perfect - it was a great win. 

"I'm enjoying it at the moment, everyone put in the hard work. This is not a given, it's not granted, so we need to make the right decisions.

"I think we struggled a little bit to find spaces in the first half. We weren't all together in the right positions. We tried to stay in the game and thankfully it turned out well for us.

"The next target now is to come back healthier and in the best shape from the international break - and then having a big game at Leicester."

Zinedine Zidane is baffled by Karim Benzema's continued absence from the France squad after the striker scored twice to help Real Madrid record a 3-1 win over Celta Vigo on Saturday.  

The Frenchman managed a brace inside the opening 30 minutes to put Los Blancos 2-0 up, then turned provider for Marco Asensio's late third after Santi Mina had pulled one back for the hosts.  

Benzema has scored in each of his last six games in all competitions (nine goals), equalling his best scoring streak for Madrid (also six games between January and February 2016). 

It was his fifth LaLiga brace of the season, just one behind the six he achieved in 2011-12. 

Benzema has not represented his country since 2015 after being investigated in relation to an alleged attempt to blackmail his international team-mate Mathieu Valbuena.  

"For people who like football, seeing Karim is a luxury because we enjoy him and his team-mates do too," Zidane told a media conference.

"How can we understand why Karim doesn't go with the national team? There are many who don't understand it. 

"But it's better for me as the coach of Madrid that he stays. He has done a great job for us." 

The result moved Madrid above Barcelona into second, three points behind Atleti, but Diego Simeone's men can restore the six-point advantage over their neighbours if they overcome Deportivo Alaves on Sunday. 

Madrid's unbeaten LaLiga away run now stands at 10 games – the first time they have achieved this since May 2016 when they went 11 without defeat on the road – and Zidane was pleased with how his side navigated a potentially tricky fixture.   

"It's not easy. You can't think you're going to score four, five or six goals," he added. 

"It's getting more and more complicated. In the end, I'll stick with the game we played, suffering in the second half but controlling the game. There was a rival and we controlled them well. We deserved the triumph.  

"We have to continue with what we are doing. We are in a good moment and we enter the final stretch where everything is played." 

Madrid host Eibar in LaLiga on April 3 following the international break.