Dortmund beat Nurnberg to apply pressure

Borussia Dortmund moved up to second in the Bundesliga, and within nine points of league leaders Bayern Munich, thanks to a comfortable win over Nurnberg. Jakub Blaszczykowski scored twice in the first 21 minutes but Jurgen Klopp's men had to wait until the 88th minute before being assured of the points, when Robert Lewandowski made it three.

The result was rarely in doubt, though, as Dortmund dominated from start to finish, struggling only to find the back of the net more frequently. It could have been a different story had Nurnberg gone ahead with their first attack of the game in the 15th minute.

After weathering an early storm Markus Feulner set up Tomas Pekhart, whose effort was saved well by Weidenfeller, who did even better to prevent Feulner from tucking in the rebound. Their resistance was broken three minutes later, though, when Timo Gebhart was adjudge to have fouled Lukasz Piszczek inside the penalty area.

Casillas out for up to 12 weeks

Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas could be sidelined for up to three months after successfully undergoing surgery on a broken bone in his left hand.

The Spain captain went under the knife during an hour-long operation in Madrid today after suffering the injury during Wednesday's Copa del Rey quarter-final clash with Valencia. Doctor Miguel del Cerro, who performed the operation, said in AS: "The operation has gone very well. He will be out for between eight to 12 weeks."

Madrid medical chief Carlos Diez said in a statement on his club's website: "Everything has been phenomenal. Two screws were put in and the hand has been perfect. It has been a complete success from a surgical point of view."

Casillas will now miss the Copa del Rey semi-final double-header against Barcelona, the UEFA Champions League last-16 tie with Manchester United and a host of La Liga matches.

Antonio Adan, who has been controversially picked by coach Jose Mourinho ahead of Casillas in a handful of recent matches, is the frontrunner to replace the world and European champion although Madrid are reportedly in the market for a new goalkeeper to cover Casillas' loss.

Hernandez Double Sees United Through

Manchester United sauntered past Fulham 4-1 to book a place in the fifth round of the FA Cup. After his latest penalty miss, Rooney passed over spot kick duties to Ryan Giggs who took United's third-minute penalty. And, 20 years and three days after his first FA Cup goal, Giggs scored his 12th.

Rooney did not come alive until after the restart but once he had brutally fired home his tenth goal of the season, he quickly set up strike partner Javier Hernandez for the Mexican's 13th. Hernandez bagged another before Aaron Hughes' consolation, ensuring Robin van Persie could remain on the bench throughout.

The Red Devil's penalty woes reached a head ten days ago, when Rooney's effort in the replay win over West Ham went sailing over the bar. It was their fifth spot-kick miss of the season, Rooney's second, and his 10th overall as a Red Devil.

Macheda Excited to Stuttgart Challenge

 

Federico Macheda is looking forward to a new challenge in the Bundesliga after the striker agreed to join Stuttgart on loan from Manchester United until the end of the season.

Macheda has struggled to make an impact at Old Trafford after scoring a famous debut goal against Aston Villa that helped secure the Premier League title for the Red Devils in 2009.

Loan spells at Sampdoria and Queens Park Rangers have both proved disappointing in the past for the Italian youth international. Now he is looking to kick-start his career in Germany after passing a medical.

Michu Commits Future In Swans

 
Top scorer Michu has given Swansea a major boost by signing a new four-year contract at the Liberty Stadium. The 26-year-old forward has taken the Premier League by storm since joining from Rayo Vallecano for just £2m in the summer, scoring 13 top-flight goals so far this term.
His exploits had seen the Spaniard linked with a big-money move away from the Swans, but he has penned a deal to keep him in south Wales until 2016. He told the official club website: "It was an easy decision for me. I am living a dream here at Swansea."