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European round-up: Utd, Roma and Everton all win

Sport360 staff 21:21 09/04/2017

Don’t miss any of the action from Sunday’s fixtures as we round up the key action.

Which was your favourite goal from Sunday’s games and who is your player of the day?

Share with us your thoughts by commenting below, using #360fans on Twitter or getting in touch via Facebook.

PREMIER LEAGUE

Evergreen Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic likened himself to film character Benjamin Button after inspiring his team to a 3-0 victory at Premier League basement club Sunderland on Sunday.

Ibrahimovic, 35, opened the scoring with his 28th goal of the season and after Seb Larsson had been sent off for Sunderland, goals from Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Marcus Rashford completed victory.

In the day’s other game, league top scorer Romelu Lukaku took his tally to 23 goals with a brace as Everton ended Leicester City’s six-game winning run with an entertaining 4-2 victory.

United extended their unbeaten record to 21 league games and climbed to fifth place in the table, four points below fourth-place Manchester City, who have played a game more.

United were without goalkeeper David de Gea due to a minor hip injury, with Sergio Romero deputising, but Mourinho expects the Spaniard to be fit for the visit of leaders Chelsea next Sunday.

Ibrahimovic broke the deadlock on the half-hour at the Stadium of Light, fending off Billy Jones and whipping a low shot past Jordan Pickford from 20 yards for his 18th goal of the league campaign.

Sunderland then lost Larsson to a furiously contested straight red card after referee Craig Pawson decided the Swede’s challenge on Ander Herrera had been unduly reckless.

The hosts’ hopes of a comeback evaporated within 46 seconds of kick-off in the second half as Luke Shaw fed Mkhitaryan to drill a low, angled shot beyond Pickford’s dive.

Substitute Rashford completed the scoring late on, exchanging passes with Ibrahimovic and arrowing a low drive into the bottom-left corner.

Everton drew level with sixth-place Arsenal, having played three more games, after thwarting Leicester manager Craig Shakespeare’s quest for a sixth successive league win and seventh in total.

Home-grown 18-year-old midfielder Tom Davies put Everton ahead after only 31 seconds following a dart into the box by Kevin Mirallas.

Demarai Gray released Islam Slimani to level in the fourth minute and six minutes later, Marc Albrighton’s free-kick from wide on the left embarrassed Joel Robles to put Leicester ahead.

But Lukaku equalised in the 23rd minute, heading in an exquisite cross by Ross Barkley, and after Phil Jagielka had headed in from a corner, Lukaku smashed in his second with over half an hour to play.

SERIE A

AC Milan had Suso, Mario Pasalic, Carlos Bacca and Gerard Deulofeu to thank for the goals in a solid San Siro display that moved the Rossoneri up to sixth place.

Milan are now just two points behind Atalanta, in the final Europa League qualifying spot, with Inter moving the other way to sit four points behind the high-flying Bergamo side.

Although leaders Juventus moved nine points clear of the pack with a 2-0 win over Chievo on Saturday, when Gonzalo Higuain hit his second brace in as many outings, the Turin giants haven’t secured their record sixth consecutive scudetto yet.

Goals by Federico Fazio and Mohamed Salah gave Roma a 2-0 first-half lead at Bologna and striker Edin Dzeko tapped home an easy third on 75 minutes as Luciano Spalletti’s men restored their six-point deficit.

LIGUE 1

PSG moved back into second place in Ligue 1 with a convincing win over Guingamp late on Sunday night.

Angel Di Maria opened the scoring for PSG before an Edinson Cavani double and Blaise Matuidi rounded off the scoring.

The reigning champions remain three points off table-toppers Monaco with seven games to play.

MOST DOMINATING WIN – UNITED SEE OFF BELEAGUERED BLACK CATS

It was one of the most one-sided contests you’ll see in the English top flight and was further evidence, as if it was needed, that Sunderland look destined for the drop.

On the other hand, United look like they will push hard to finish in the Champions League qualifying positions.

BEST CONTEST – EVERTON 4-2 LEICESTER

Any Premier League tussle that yields six goals deserves to be included here.

It was an encounter that had just about everything at Goodison Park.

BEST GOAL – TOM DAVIES

The teenager showed tremendous touch and composure to put the Blues ahead in the opening minute after a glorious run by Kevin Mirallas from inside his own half.

PLAYER OF THE DAY – ROMELU LUKAKU

This was a close run thing between the Everton hitman and United star Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but the Belgian just edges it.

He was in clinical form for the Blues and extended his lead at the top of the Premier League goalscoring charts – grabbing his 22nd and 23rd goals of the campaign.

BIGGEST BLUNDER – SEB LARSSON

Red card or not, it was a wreckless and ill-timed challenge that reduced Sunderland to ten men and killed off any feint hopes they had of making a comeback in the game.

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