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Arabs tighten grip on British football as Middle-Eastern consortium launches world record £1.5 billion bid to takeover Arsenal
Bid dwarfs previous record of £800m for Manchester United by Glazer family
Arabs already run Manchester City and David Beckham's Paris St Germain
A consortium from the Middle East has launched the biggest ever takeover bid for a football club with an offer of £1.5bn for Premier League side Arsenal.
The group, made up of investors from Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, hope to tempt American owner Stan Kroenke with the world record sum, reports the Sunday Telegraph.
The mystery consortium members, who are apparently being backed by funds from Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, are to bid for every share in the club and have promised the money will be invested in the faltering team, who face a battle to qualify for next season's lucrative Champions League competition.
It blows out of the water the world's previous highest bid for a football team the £800m was made by the American Glazer family for Manchester United and reinforces the growing power wielded by the Middle East in the European game.
Qataris already own another leading Premier League side, Manchester City, who are bankrolled by billionaire Sheik Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, while French club Paris St Germain, who recently signed David Beckham, are backed by the Qatar Investment Authority.
American Kroenke is the club's majority shareholder, while Uzbek Alisher Usmanov also holds a significant stake.
The cash offer for Arsenal would reportedly see the potential investors bid around £20,000 per share, making Kroenke's holding worth £830m, and wipe out the club's £250m debts.
A meeting has already been reportedly been requested with the American to discuss the proposed offer.
Another Qatari, Sheik Mansour (middle), is in charge at Arsenal's rivals, Manchester City
It is unlikely Usmanov will want to sell his shareholding, given his 'dream' of taking control of Arsenal himself, but the Middle East consortium believes it will be able to work with the billionaire, who does not currently have a seat on the board.
Any takeover would inevitably raise questions over the future of manager Arsene Wenger but the Frenchman is understood to be highly-regarded by the consortium.
A bid source was quoted as saying: 'Arsenal is at a pivotal position at the moment. The fear is that the club is facing a cycle of decline like Liverpool. From our point of view it is the perfect moment to make this bid because at this moment in time you can still genuinely justify this extraordinary valuation on the club.
'We will not bid for Arsenal if they go into decline. Kroenke and Usmanov will not get this kind of valuation if Arsenal do not succeed and will not get this kind of valuation ever again.
'The amount of capital required to pump into Arsenal to make it competitive within England, Europe and the world means that the valuation cannot go any higher.'
DailyMail
Bid dwarfs previous record of £800m for Manchester United by Glazer family
Arabs already run Manchester City and David Beckham's Paris St Germain
A consortium from the Middle East has launched the biggest ever takeover bid for a football club with an offer of £1.5bn for Premier League side Arsenal.
The group, made up of investors from Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, hope to tempt American owner Stan Kroenke with the world record sum, reports the Sunday Telegraph.
The mystery consortium members, who are apparently being backed by funds from Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, are to bid for every share in the club and have promised the money will be invested in the faltering team, who face a battle to qualify for next season's lucrative Champions League competition.
It blows out of the water the world's previous highest bid for a football team the £800m was made by the American Glazer family for Manchester United and reinforces the growing power wielded by the Middle East in the European game.
Qataris already own another leading Premier League side, Manchester City, who are bankrolled by billionaire Sheik Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, while French club Paris St Germain, who recently signed David Beckham, are backed by the Qatar Investment Authority.
American Kroenke is the club's majority shareholder, while Uzbek Alisher Usmanov also holds a significant stake.
The cash offer for Arsenal would reportedly see the potential investors bid around £20,000 per share, making Kroenke's holding worth £830m, and wipe out the club's £250m debts.
A meeting has already been reportedly been requested with the American to discuss the proposed offer.
Another Qatari, Sheik Mansour (middle), is in charge at Arsenal's rivals, Manchester City
It is unlikely Usmanov will want to sell his shareholding, given his 'dream' of taking control of Arsenal himself, but the Middle East consortium believes it will be able to work with the billionaire, who does not currently have a seat on the board.
Any takeover would inevitably raise questions over the future of manager Arsene Wenger but the Frenchman is understood to be highly-regarded by the consortium.
A bid source was quoted as saying: 'Arsenal is at a pivotal position at the moment. The fear is that the club is facing a cycle of decline like Liverpool. From our point of view it is the perfect moment to make this bid because at this moment in time you can still genuinely justify this extraordinary valuation on the club.
'We will not bid for Arsenal if they go into decline. Kroenke and Usmanov will not get this kind of valuation if Arsenal do not succeed and will not get this kind of valuation ever again.
'The amount of capital required to pump into Arsenal to make it competitive within England, Europe and the world means that the valuation cannot go any higher.'
DailyMail
Kroenke not interested in £1.5bn takeover
Arsenal have insisted that majority shareholder Stan Kroenke would have no interest in selling his stake amid reports of a potential £1.5 billion bid from the Middle East.
The Sun on Sunday and Sunday Telegraph have both reported that an Arab consortium is interested in the Gunners and would be prepared to pay double the amount the club was valued at two years ago to take 100% ownership.
The group is apparently ready to cut ticket prices, which has been a cause of significant concern in recent times, as well as to prevent the regular sales of the club's key players. It is suggested that Arsene Wenger would come under scrutiny, having failed to bring any silverware to the club since the 2005 FA Cup.It is said that the deal, which would reportedly wipe out the club's £250 million debt, would be dependent on Arsenal qualifying for next season's Champions League.
However, Arsenal communications director Mark Gonnella told Reuters: "There has been no contact from any potential investors."Stan Kroenke is committed to Arsenal for the long term and has no intention of selling his stake."
Kroenke holds 66.83% of the club, having pushed through a £430million-plus takeover in April 2011. Uzbek oil magnate Alisher Usmanov, who holds a 29.96% stake in the club, is believed to be similarly reluctant to consider cashing in.
Arsenal have insisted that majority shareholder Stan Kroenke would have no interest in selling his stake amid reports of a potential £1.5 billion bid from the Middle East.
The Sun on Sunday and Sunday Telegraph have both reported that an Arab consortium is interested in the Gunners and would be prepared to pay double the amount the club was valued at two years ago to take 100% ownership.
The group is apparently ready to cut ticket prices, which has been a cause of significant concern in recent times, as well as to prevent the regular sales of the club's key players. It is suggested that Arsene Wenger would come under scrutiny, having failed to bring any silverware to the club since the 2005 FA Cup.It is said that the deal, which would reportedly wipe out the club's £250 million debt, would be dependent on Arsenal qualifying for next season's Champions League.
However, Arsenal communications director Mark Gonnella told Reuters: "There has been no contact from any potential investors."Stan Kroenke is committed to Arsenal for the long term and has no intention of selling his stake."
Kroenke holds 66.83% of the club, having pushed through a £430million-plus takeover in April 2011. Uzbek oil magnate Alisher Usmanov, who holds a 29.96% stake in the club, is believed to be similarly reluctant to consider cashing in.
Ferguson denies reports linking Ronaldo with Manchester United return 
The Red Devils manager dismissed rumors linking the forward with a second spell at Old Trafford this summer.
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson admits "there is nothing" in reports linking Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo with a return to Old Trafford this summer.
The Portugal international has been heavily linked with a move back to his former club at the end of the season amid uncertainty over his future with the Spanish side.
The 28-year-old will make an emotional reappearance at Old Trafford this week in a Madrid shirt when the two clubs meet in the Champions League, but Ferguson has described the prospect of Ronaldo becoming a Manchester United player again as "false hope" and feels the forward is likely to sign a new deal with Madrid.
“There hasn’t been anything to encourage me to think Cristiano would come back here," Ferguson told reporters. "As far as I am aware, there is nothing in it at all. Ronaldo has got two years left on his contract, and it seems to me it is all part of the negotiations that are going on about a new deal.
“Maybe his agent is playing the game. I think it is false hope."
United hosts Real Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie on Tuesday, after the first leg in Spain ended in a 1-1 draw last month. Even though Ronaldo scored the equalizing goal for Real Madrid and provides a threat to eliminate the Red Devils from the competition, Ferguson believes that he will receive a warm welcome from the Old Trafford faithful.
"Cristiano will get a good reception," Ferguson said. "All our former players, especially the ones who have been great for this club, get a good reception when they return."
The Red Devils manager dismissed rumors linking the forward with a second spell at Old Trafford this summer.
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson admits "there is nothing" in reports linking Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo with a return to Old Trafford this summer.
The Portugal international has been heavily linked with a move back to his former club at the end of the season amid uncertainty over his future with the Spanish side.
The 28-year-old will make an emotional reappearance at Old Trafford this week in a Madrid shirt when the two clubs meet in the Champions League, but Ferguson has described the prospect of Ronaldo becoming a Manchester United player again as "false hope" and feels the forward is likely to sign a new deal with Madrid.
“There hasn’t been anything to encourage me to think Cristiano would come back here," Ferguson told reporters. "As far as I am aware, there is nothing in it at all. Ronaldo has got two years left on his contract, and it seems to me it is all part of the negotiations that are going on about a new deal.
“Maybe his agent is playing the game. I think it is false hope."
United hosts Real Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie on Tuesday, after the first leg in Spain ended in a 1-1 draw last month. Even though Ronaldo scored the equalizing goal for Real Madrid and provides a threat to eliminate the Red Devils from the competition, Ferguson believes that he will receive a warm welcome from the Old Trafford faithful.
"Cristiano will get a good reception," Ferguson said. "All our former players, especially the ones who have been great for this club, get a good reception when they return."
Tottenham 2-1 Arsenal: Bale & Lennon seal North London derby delight for Spurs
Tottenham extended the gap in the race for a Champions League berth over Arsenal to seven points after completing a clinical 2-1 win in a highly-charged North London derby.
Nearly identical first-half goals just moments apart from Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon were enough to take Spurs back above Chelsea to third in the Premier League.
Per Mertesacker pulled one back for the visitors in the 51stminute, but, despite a glut of late chances from both sides, a fiercely contested and hugely entertaining encounter finished in favor of Andre Villas-Boas’ in-form team, which has not lost a league match since a 2-1 defeat to Everton on Dec. 9.
Tottenham’s fourth consecutive Premier League win has lifted Spurs to within two points of second-place Manchester City, who travels to Aston Villa on Monday night. Meanwhile, Arsenal’s seventh league defeat of the season leaves the Gunners five points adrift of the Champions League places with less than a quarter of the season remaining.
Bale set Spurs on their way in the 37thminute with his 10thgoal in eight games, as he once again demonstrated what a threat he is in the central role that Villas-Boas has created for him. Bale’s run between the centrer backs was spotted by Gylfi Sigurdsson, who earned the start in place of Lewis Holtby and the injured Clint Dempsey (calf), and his sumptuous pass was seized upon by the Welshman with almost effortless cool. Barely breaking stride, Bale slotted it to the left of Wojciech Szczesny to open the scoring.
Chants of ‘Gareth Bale, he scores when he wants’ were followed by ‘When the Spurs go marching in’ after Lennon emerged victorious in another 1-on-1 with Szczesny 140 seconds later to send the White Hart Lane fans into a frenzy.The Arsenal defense was lamentable in trying to prevent Lennon from collecting Scott Parker’s pass, but the winger made like Bale and coolly rounded the keeper to double his team’s advantage.
Five minutes into the second period, the visitors got a foothold in the match through a well-worked set-piece play. Theo Walcott’s corner from the left was met at the near post by Mertesacker, who flicked the ball with the back of his head past Hugo Lloris.Wenger went full throttle in search of at least one more goal. Tomas Rosicky replaced Carl Jenkinson as Aaron Ramsey slotted in at right back for the last half hour.
As Arsenal poured forward in search of a second, Spurs exploited gaps in their defense. Sigurdsson opted to try and square the ball for Bale when put through 1-on-1 with Szczesny, while Defoe and Bale also wasted good chances to put the game out of the visitors’ reach.
Despite their second-half wastefulness, Spurs held firm to clinch a victory that their focus and commitment deserved, and they take a wave of momentum with them into Thursday's UEFA Europa League round of 16 first leg against Inter Milan.
Tottenham extended the gap in the race for a Champions League berth over Arsenal to seven points after completing a clinical 2-1 win in a highly-charged North London derby.
Nearly identical first-half goals just moments apart from Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon were enough to take Spurs back above Chelsea to third in the Premier League.
Per Mertesacker pulled one back for the visitors in the 51stminute, but, despite a glut of late chances from both sides, a fiercely contested and hugely entertaining encounter finished in favor of Andre Villas-Boas’ in-form team, which has not lost a league match since a 2-1 defeat to Everton on Dec. 9.
Tottenham’s fourth consecutive Premier League win has lifted Spurs to within two points of second-place Manchester City, who travels to Aston Villa on Monday night. Meanwhile, Arsenal’s seventh league defeat of the season leaves the Gunners five points adrift of the Champions League places with less than a quarter of the season remaining.
Bale set Spurs on their way in the 37thminute with his 10thgoal in eight games, as he once again demonstrated what a threat he is in the central role that Villas-Boas has created for him. Bale’s run between the centrer backs was spotted by Gylfi Sigurdsson, who earned the start in place of Lewis Holtby and the injured Clint Dempsey (calf), and his sumptuous pass was seized upon by the Welshman with almost effortless cool. Barely breaking stride, Bale slotted it to the left of Wojciech Szczesny to open the scoring.
Chants of ‘Gareth Bale, he scores when he wants’ were followed by ‘When the Spurs go marching in’ after Lennon emerged victorious in another 1-on-1 with Szczesny 140 seconds later to send the White Hart Lane fans into a frenzy.The Arsenal defense was lamentable in trying to prevent Lennon from collecting Scott Parker’s pass, but the winger made like Bale and coolly rounded the keeper to double his team’s advantage.
Five minutes into the second period, the visitors got a foothold in the match through a well-worked set-piece play. Theo Walcott’s corner from the left was met at the near post by Mertesacker, who flicked the ball with the back of his head past Hugo Lloris.Wenger went full throttle in search of at least one more goal. Tomas Rosicky replaced Carl Jenkinson as Aaron Ramsey slotted in at right back for the last half hour.
As Arsenal poured forward in search of a second, Spurs exploited gaps in their defense. Sigurdsson opted to try and square the ball for Bale when put through 1-on-1 with Szczesny, while Defoe and Bale also wasted good chances to put the game out of the visitors’ reach.
Despite their second-half wastefulness, Spurs held firm to clinch a victory that their focus and commitment deserved, and they take a wave of momentum with them into Thursday's UEFA Europa League round of 16 first leg against Inter Milan.
Hoffenheim 0-1 Bayern Munich: Gomez goal enough for Bavarians to maintain league lead
Mario Gomez's first half strike was enough for Bayern Munich to take all three points as the club saw off lowly Hoffenheim.
The Bundesliga leader was far from its best, but in a rare start, Gomez produced a close range finish to seal the victory.
The win means the Bavarians remain 17 points ahead of Borussia Dortmund at the top of table while Hoffenheim stays embroiled in a relegation battle.
The league leader looked to stamp its authority on the game early on, and Bastian Schweinsteiger tested Heurelho Gomes with a low free kick that the former Tottenham goalkeeper could only turn round the post.
Despite its lowly league position, Hoffenheim wasn't going to let the Bayern have everything its own way, and Danny Williams should have done better when a cross from the left evaded three defenders before finding him at the back post. The midfielder could only find the side netting with that effort, but that didn't deter him and he tried his luck minutes later, though he again missed the target with a powerful shot from distance.
Both sides were failing to make any real periods of possession count until Franck Ribery headed Jerome Boateng's diagonal ball into Gomez's path, and the Germany international made no mistake as he squeezed the ball into the bottom corner despite pressure from Gomes.
Breaking the deadlock certainly galvanized Jupp Heynckes' side, and the team almost doubled its lead before the break when skipper Philipp Lahm broke into the box and saw his effort parried away by Gomes.
Williams was proving the biggest threat for the home side, and he almost grabbed an equalizer on the verge of halftime as he forced Tom Starke into a save low to his right after breaking from midfield.
The start of the second half offered little in the way of goalmouth action, and it wasn't until the 67th minute that either side had a meaningful effort on goal as Stephan Schrock forced Starke into an acrobatic save from the edge of the area.
Marco Kurz's team was beginning to show much more attacking prowess, though it nearly fell further behind as Schweinsteiger's free kick beat Gomes but crashed back off the crossbar.
Midfielder Schweinsteiger was a constant danger from dead ball situations, and he again rattled the woodwork from a free kick as the match entered its final 15 minutes with his curling effort rebounding back off the post.
Mario Mandzukic replaced Gomez up front, and he went close to sealing the points as his placed header drifted narrowly wide of the right post.
In searching for an equalizer, Hoffenheim began to leave gaps in defense, and Ribery and David Alaba both almost took advantage, but Gomes was equal to both efforts from the edge of the area.
The home side huffed and puffed as it looked to claim an unlikely point, but Heynckes' side was ultimately comfortable in closing out the win.
Mario Gomez's first half strike was enough for Bayern Munich to take all three points as the club saw off lowly Hoffenheim.
The Bundesliga leader was far from its best, but in a rare start, Gomez produced a close range finish to seal the victory.
The win means the Bavarians remain 17 points ahead of Borussia Dortmund at the top of table while Hoffenheim stays embroiled in a relegation battle.
The league leader looked to stamp its authority on the game early on, and Bastian Schweinsteiger tested Heurelho Gomes with a low free kick that the former Tottenham goalkeeper could only turn round the post.
Despite its lowly league position, Hoffenheim wasn't going to let the Bayern have everything its own way, and Danny Williams should have done better when a cross from the left evaded three defenders before finding him at the back post. The midfielder could only find the side netting with that effort, but that didn't deter him and he tried his luck minutes later, though he again missed the target with a powerful shot from distance.
Both sides were failing to make any real periods of possession count until Franck Ribery headed Jerome Boateng's diagonal ball into Gomez's path, and the Germany international made no mistake as he squeezed the ball into the bottom corner despite pressure from Gomes.
Breaking the deadlock certainly galvanized Jupp Heynckes' side, and the team almost doubled its lead before the break when skipper Philipp Lahm broke into the box and saw his effort parried away by Gomes.
Williams was proving the biggest threat for the home side, and he almost grabbed an equalizer on the verge of halftime as he forced Tom Starke into a save low to his right after breaking from midfield.
The start of the second half offered little in the way of goalmouth action, and it wasn't until the 67th minute that either side had a meaningful effort on goal as Stephan Schrock forced Starke into an acrobatic save from the edge of the area.
Marco Kurz's team was beginning to show much more attacking prowess, though it nearly fell further behind as Schweinsteiger's free kick beat Gomes but crashed back off the crossbar.
Midfielder Schweinsteiger was a constant danger from dead ball situations, and he again rattled the woodwork from a free kick as the match entered its final 15 minutes with his curling effort rebounding back off the post.
Mario Mandzukic replaced Gomez up front, and he went close to sealing the points as his placed header drifted narrowly wide of the right post.
In searching for an equalizer, Hoffenheim began to leave gaps in defense, and Ribery and David Alaba both almost took advantage, but Gomes was equal to both efforts from the edge of the area.
The home side huffed and puffed as it looked to claim an unlikely point, but Heynckes' side was ultimately comfortable in closing out the win.
Catania 2-3 Inter: Palacio inspires incredible Nerazzurri comeback
Inter Milan recovered from going two goals down inside 20 minutes to snatch a 3-2 victory against Catania in an entertaining Serie A encounter at Stadio Angelo Massimino, with Rodrigo Palacio playing the hero with his winner at the death.
The hosts raced into a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Gonzalo Bergessio and Giovanni Marchese, before Ricky Alvarez reduced the deficit just after halftime.
Palacio, whose introduction inspired Inter's second-half revival, got the equalizing goal before striking for the winner deep into added time.
Coach Andrea Stramaccioni was without a number of first-team players, with Italy international Antonio Cassano dropped for the trip following a dispute between the pair. His absence was felt in a notably sluggish start to proceedings for the Nerazzurri, who struggled in all facts and especially in defense, as Bergessio's half-volley was hurriedly blocked by Juan Jesus. The Rossazzurri would soon be in the lead, though.
An error from Jesus, who attempted to safely see the ball out of play, instead saw him dispossessed by Bergessio, who proceeded to swivel and fire past Samir Handanovic to hand Rolando Maran's side an early lead inside seven minutes.
The visitors struggled to deal with the Sicilians' bright counterattacks, though Zdravko Kuzmanovic's strike from distance only just cleared Mariano Andujar's post. Moments later, however, Inter was 2-0 down to compound a rather embarrassing opening.
A free kick delivered in by Francesco Lodi picked out Marchese in acres of space in the penalty box, with the defender calmly glancing his header past Handanovic and into net to double his side's advantage.
Inter was largely lethargic up front, with Tomasso Rocchi - making his first start for the club - distinctly isolated up front, and it could have been a three-goal edge for Catania as Bergessio spurned an angled strike.
Stramaccioni then brought off the ineffectual Rocchi and Kuzmanovic, and sent on Palacio and Dejan Stankovic.
Palacio's impact was telling almost immediately, as the Nerazzurri emerged a much improved side after the break. Ezequiel Schelotto and Fredy Guarin were both denied, before Palacio's superb run and cross saw fellow Argentine Alvarez loop a header past Andujar to begin a dramatic revival.
The impetus was clearly with the visitors, who looked a different team as the second half wore on, though Catania continued to pose a danger as Bergessio failed to connect with a ball up against Handanovic, an incident which the hosts would rue minutes later.
Alvaro Pereira held off his marker down the left flank and found Palacio with a fine cross, who got in front of the defender to head past Andujar and complete a remarkable turnaround on 70 minutes.
Esteban Cambiasso then volleyed narrowly wide, but there was still to be one last twist in this encounter, deep into injury-time. With 93 minutes on the clock, Palacio turned in from the midfielder's cut-back to steal victory and consign the hosts to just their third home defeat this season.
Inter remains in the race for the Champions League following its late heroics, and travels to London to face Tottenham in the Europa League on Thursday. Catania missed the chance to leapfrog Stramaccioni's side and remains in seventh in Serie A.
Inter Milan recovered from going two goals down inside 20 minutes to snatch a 3-2 victory against Catania in an entertaining Serie A encounter at Stadio Angelo Massimino, with Rodrigo Palacio playing the hero with his winner at the death.
The hosts raced into a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Gonzalo Bergessio and Giovanni Marchese, before Ricky Alvarez reduced the deficit just after halftime.
Palacio, whose introduction inspired Inter's second-half revival, got the equalizing goal before striking for the winner deep into added time.
Coach Andrea Stramaccioni was without a number of first-team players, with Italy international Antonio Cassano dropped for the trip following a dispute between the pair. His absence was felt in a notably sluggish start to proceedings for the Nerazzurri, who struggled in all facts and especially in defense, as Bergessio's half-volley was hurriedly blocked by Juan Jesus. The Rossazzurri would soon be in the lead, though.
An error from Jesus, who attempted to safely see the ball out of play, instead saw him dispossessed by Bergessio, who proceeded to swivel and fire past Samir Handanovic to hand Rolando Maran's side an early lead inside seven minutes.
The visitors struggled to deal with the Sicilians' bright counterattacks, though Zdravko Kuzmanovic's strike from distance only just cleared Mariano Andujar's post. Moments later, however, Inter was 2-0 down to compound a rather embarrassing opening.
A free kick delivered in by Francesco Lodi picked out Marchese in acres of space in the penalty box, with the defender calmly glancing his header past Handanovic and into net to double his side's advantage.
Inter was largely lethargic up front, with Tomasso Rocchi - making his first start for the club - distinctly isolated up front, and it could have been a three-goal edge for Catania as Bergessio spurned an angled strike.
Stramaccioni then brought off the ineffectual Rocchi and Kuzmanovic, and sent on Palacio and Dejan Stankovic.
Palacio's impact was telling almost immediately, as the Nerazzurri emerged a much improved side after the break. Ezequiel Schelotto and Fredy Guarin were both denied, before Palacio's superb run and cross saw fellow Argentine Alvarez loop a header past Andujar to begin a dramatic revival.
The impetus was clearly with the visitors, who looked a different team as the second half wore on, though Catania continued to pose a danger as Bergessio failed to connect with a ball up against Handanovic, an incident which the hosts would rue minutes later.
Alvaro Pereira held off his marker down the left flank and found Palacio with a fine cross, who got in front of the defender to head past Andujar and complete a remarkable turnaround on 70 minutes.
Esteban Cambiasso then volleyed narrowly wide, but there was still to be one last twist in this encounter, deep into injury-time. With 93 minutes on the clock, Palacio turned in from the midfielder's cut-back to steal victory and consign the hosts to just their third home defeat this season.
Inter remains in the race for the Champions League following its late heroics, and travels to London to face Tottenham in the Europa League on Thursday. Catania missed the chance to leapfrog Stramaccioni's side and remains in seventh in Serie A.
Lewandowski: Dortmund won't play for draw against Shakhtar
The 24-year-old striker says Dortmund will be aiming for victory ahead of this week's Champions League tie with Shakhtar, despite the Germans already holding a slender advantage.Borussia Dortmund forward Robert Lewandowski believes attack is the best form of defense ahead of Tuesday's Champions League clash with Shakhtar Donetsk.
The German giant finds itself in pole position to progress to the quarterfinals after earning two valuable away goals in their 2-2 draw in the first leg. However, having witnessed the threat posed by Shakhtar in Ukraine, the Poland international believes Dortmund can ill afford to rest on its laurels against a "dangerous" side.
"Donetsk scored twice against us in the first leg and they showed how dangerous they are. We can’t play for a draw, or aim to get a 0-0 or 1-1. That would be far too dangerous," he told Bundesliga.com. "We desperately want to win it, even if it’s not going to be easy. We know that we can score against Donetsk because we showed that in the first leg, and we should also get at least one goal on Tuesday.
"We’re at home after all, so we’ve got to be positive. We want to, and have to, get into the next round and that is the clear objective on Tuesday."
Meanwhile, the 24-year-old also played down the significance of Shakhtar's away form.
"They are always good away from home. They’ve now played their first game after the long winter break in the Ukrainian league so they’ll be fit and certainly in more of a rhythm than they were in the first leg," he added.
"But that’s not going to be decisive. We’ve got to ensure we focus on ourselves and play the best we can. That’s what matters the most, and that way we’ll be successful again."
The 24-year-old striker says Dortmund will be aiming for victory ahead of this week's Champions League tie with Shakhtar, despite the Germans already holding a slender advantage.Borussia Dortmund forward Robert Lewandowski believes attack is the best form of defense ahead of Tuesday's Champions League clash with Shakhtar Donetsk.
The German giant finds itself in pole position to progress to the quarterfinals after earning two valuable away goals in their 2-2 draw in the first leg. However, having witnessed the threat posed by Shakhtar in Ukraine, the Poland international believes Dortmund can ill afford to rest on its laurels against a "dangerous" side.
"Donetsk scored twice against us in the first leg and they showed how dangerous they are. We can’t play for a draw, or aim to get a 0-0 or 1-1. That would be far too dangerous," he told Bundesliga.com. "We desperately want to win it, even if it’s not going to be easy. We know that we can score against Donetsk because we showed that in the first leg, and we should also get at least one goal on Tuesday.
"We’re at home after all, so we’ve got to be positive. We want to, and have to, get into the next round and that is the clear objective on Tuesday."
Meanwhile, the 24-year-old also played down the significance of Shakhtar's away form.
"They are always good away from home. They’ve now played their first game after the long winter break in the Ukrainian league so they’ll be fit and certainly in more of a rhythm than they were in the first leg," he added.
"But that’s not going to be decisive. We’ve got to ensure we focus on ourselves and play the best we can. That’s what matters the most, and that way we’ll be successful again."
Chelsea keeper Cech fully focused despite anti-Benitez chants
The experienced Czech Republic international claims he was unaware of any Stamford Bridge criticism for his under-pressure manager during Saturday's 1-0 victory over West Brom.Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech says he was unaware of any chants directed from the Stamford Bridge crowd against Rafael Benitez during the 1-0 win over West Brom.
The interim boss was the subject of much criticism and abusive banners from the Chelsea crowd, whose dislike for the former Liverpool boss was only heightened by his explosive interview after the FA Cup victory over Middlesbrough, in which he targeted both the supporters and club hierarchy for their lack of support.
However, speaking after Chelsea's morale-boosting success over the Baggies, Cech claimed to have not heard or understood any chanting against Benitez, instead preferring to focus on their support and the team's performance in victory.
"I'm so focused on the game that I hardly understand what the people sing or shout or what they do," the 30-year-old told the club's official website. "The main point is the people were here, the stadium was full, they were behind us, they supported the team and we won the game.
"We had a good performance and everyone seemed to leave the stadium happy."
Despite Chelsea's domination, the European champion simply could not add to Demba Ba's first-half opener and was in the end thankful to the goalkeeper for making saves from Steven Reid and then Peter Odemwingie.
"Their chances came at the end because they threw everything at us and we hadn't killed them off," offered Cech. "This was the story of the season a little bit. We had so many chances and Ben Foster had a great game. They survived until the 80th minute and then they waited patiently for their chances up front, they had to.
"But overall our performance was very good. Everybody was focused, everybody was concentrated until the last whistle."
The experienced Czech Republic international claims he was unaware of any Stamford Bridge criticism for his under-pressure manager during Saturday's 1-0 victory over West Brom.Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech says he was unaware of any chants directed from the Stamford Bridge crowd against Rafael Benitez during the 1-0 win over West Brom.
The interim boss was the subject of much criticism and abusive banners from the Chelsea crowd, whose dislike for the former Liverpool boss was only heightened by his explosive interview after the FA Cup victory over Middlesbrough, in which he targeted both the supporters and club hierarchy for their lack of support.
However, speaking after Chelsea's morale-boosting success over the Baggies, Cech claimed to have not heard or understood any chanting against Benitez, instead preferring to focus on their support and the team's performance in victory.
"I'm so focused on the game that I hardly understand what the people sing or shout or what they do," the 30-year-old told the club's official website. "The main point is the people were here, the stadium was full, they were behind us, they supported the team and we won the game.
"We had a good performance and everyone seemed to leave the stadium happy."
Despite Chelsea's domination, the European champion simply could not add to Demba Ba's first-half opener and was in the end thankful to the goalkeeper for making saves from Steven Reid and then Peter Odemwingie.
"Their chances came at the end because they threw everything at us and we hadn't killed them off," offered Cech. "This was the story of the season a little bit. We had so many chances and Ben Foster had a great game. They survived until the 80th minute and then they waited patiently for their chances up front, they had to.
"But overall our performance was very good. Everybody was focused, everybody was concentrated until the last whistle."
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