..::Football II::..

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Weidenfeller: Bayern burdened by success

The Dortmund goalkeeper believes his side's arch rival in the Bundesliga is under far more pressure to continue to win trophies than BVB.

Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller believes Bayern Munich is burderned by its past and present successes.

The first-choice BVB shot-stopper believes that there is less pressure at the Signal Iduna Park to win, whereas the Bavarians are weighed down by their past glories.
"Bayern have to win titles, while we want to win titles," the Schwarzgelben star told Sport Bild. "I guess you could say that."The 32-year-old believes that Dortmund can recover from their final defeat to die Roten this season and hopes that the previous campaign's lack of silverware under Jurgen Klopp will be reversed in 2013-14.

"Very few teams do it right first time, so we do not doubt ourselves. The dream has still not faded away," Weidenfeller added. "Personally, I hold the value of being in the Champions League final in higher esteem than a DFB-Pokal victory, but of course you dream - and always expect - to hold trophies in your hand at the end of the season."

Weidenfeller featured in BVB's 3-1 pre-season over Basel on Wednesday night, in which new signing Henrikh Mkhitaryan scored on his non-competitive debut for the club.

 

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Mourinho: Schwarzer is cover for 'best in the world' Cech


The Blues manager wants him to keep the club's No.1 on his toes and enthuses about Andre Schurrle and Marco van Ginkel.Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho says that new signing Mark Schwarzer fills an important void as cover and competition for Petr Cech, whom he sees as "the best in the world".

The 40-year-old Australian penned a one-year contract at Stamford Bridge after leaving Fulham this summer, restoring the goalkeeping ranks following the departures of Ross Turnbull and Hilario.

"Mark Schwarzer is what we need," Mourinho told the club's official website. "I never say this one is the first choice and this one is the second and this one is the third but, of course, as a starting point, Petr Cech is Petr Cech.

"He is the best in the world, with deference to all the others, and Mark knows that he comes to be an important member of the squad, to compete with Petr and to give us in that position what we have in any other position where we have competition and options, giving protection to each other.

"With Mark we have a goalkeeper who has played an incredible number of matches in the last 10 years in the Premier League and he is more than ready for this."

The Portuguese is also enthusiastic about the Blues’ other two captures so far this summer, forward Andre Schurrle and midfielder Marco van Ginkel.

"Schurrle is still so young but he already has great history because he plays in his national team, he has played Champions League and he played three complete seasons for Leverkusen," Mourinho added.

"So he is a player who is absolutely ready and he gives us more than one position in attack and adds quality. He will be important for us.

"Marco van Ginkel is one of the best prospects. He is not yet like Schurrle - close to being a finished product - but he is a player with great potential.

"Of course he needs to play and he will because he is a player with great potential and, physically, he is more than ready. He is a natural athlete.

"By the technical and the tactical point of view, of course, he is a kid, he has to learn, but I think he is very open-minded and we analyzed him for quite a long time. The Chelsea scouting department did it for quite a long time and I did it in the last five or six months, and we made a collective decision to bring the kid here."

 

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Barcelona paid Santos 17 million euros for Neymar


The eventual transfer between the Catalans and the Peixe could be much greater but agent fees and third party ownership are part of the reduced fee Santos was paid only 17.1 million euros by Barcelona for the purchase of Neymar earlier this summer, according to documents which emerged on Wednesday.The 21-year-old, who starred in Brazil's successful Confederations Cup campaign in June, joined the Catalans for 57 million euros in one of the most high profile transfers of 2013 to date.

However, Radio Globo reporters unearthed details which reveal that the Brasileirao club did not get paid around €40m of the full figure as the Camp Nou club splashed out for a signing-on fee, agent fees and other bonuses.

Santos may receive more financial profit from the move eventually through arranged friendlies that the two sides agreed to, with the first on August 2 in Spain, and potential objectives for the forward to achieve which were included in the contract.

The third parties were named as the Teisa Group and DIS, which have controlling interests in Neymar, who is widely regarded to be one of the rising stars in world football.The documents also show that Neymar’s father wanted his son to depart Brazil ahead of the World Cup because he did not want him to become a "hero or villain" at next summer's tournament in the South American country.

The attacker, who has scored an impressive 24 goals in 39 Selecao appearances, will meet up with his new Barca team mates next week.

 

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Galliani: Robinho's future to be decided in next 10 days


The Milan director also admitted that his club had been in discussions with Fiorentina over the potential purchase of Adem Ljajic AC Milan CEO Adriano Galliani has revealed that the future of Robinho will be decided in the next 10 days.

The Brazilian forward has been in talks over a move to Santos this summer but differences over the fee and the player's potential salary have caused negotiations to grind to a standstill.

With the transfer window in the South American nation closing in just over a week, Galliani has admitted that the former Real Madrid attacker's future hinges on whether a deal is struck soon."The Brazilian market closes on July 20, so by that date either Robinho will go or he is staying. The negotiations are continuing without any substantial developments," Galliani told reporters on Wednesday.

If the 29-year-old does depart, an attacking replacement could arrive at San Siro in the form of Fiorentina's Adem Ljajic, with Galliani admitting there had been contact between the two clubs.

"Ljajic? I met with [Fiorentina sporting director Daniele] Prade this morning," added the Rossoneri chief.

 

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Mignolet ready to take 'big step forward' with Liverpool


The Belgium international, who made the move from Sunderland to Merseyside at the end of June, is hoping to develop at Anfield.Simon Mignolet says he is relishing the challenge of taking a "big step forward" in his career with Liverpool.

The Belgian, who was the subject of a 11.5 million euro switch from Sunderland in June, is expected to compete with Pepe Reina for the number one spot at Anfield next season.

The 24-year-old shot-stopper is confident he will improve at the Merseyside club, and hopes to help Brendan Rodgers' side push on next season and challenge for a top-four finish.

"For me it's a big step forward and I'm very pleased to be training with the team for two weeks now. I spoke to the manager and he told me that it's going to be a big step forward," Mignolet told the club's official website.

"We play the first game on Saturday and after that, with the more we do on tour, I'll see how big a step forward it is for me. At the moment, it's only training and I have to get used to the players and the way of playing. Once we get going I'll know what it's going to be like.

The goalkeeper was also impressed with the mental strength at the club, praising the "ambition" of the organization and his new teammates.

"When I came in for the first couple of training sessions, I saw that everybody is very hungry and ambitious to get going, everybody wants to take a step forward and push on into the top four.

"There's big ambition around the club. I also noticed that from the conversations I had with the goalkeeping coach and the gaffer. I saw that they are very ambitious, want to get forward, winning trophies and getting into the top four."

Like Mignolet, Kolo Toure is among the four signings made by Rodgers since the opening of the transfer window, having arrived on a free transfer from Manchester City on July 1.

And, speaking at the pair's official unveiling at the club's Melwood training ground, the Ivorian expressed his delight over sealing a move to Anfield.

"For me, it's an honor to play for Liverpool - this club are unbelievable," said Toure. "I've just been here for two weeks and I've seen a lot of fantastic things. I'm proud and I will give my best to this football club.

"When I had to decide, when I had the phone call from Liverpool, you can't joke with that. It's one of the biggest clubs in the Premier League. I was like, 'wow'."

 

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Guardiola: Hard work ahead for Bayern


The 43-year-old coach believes his side will likely face a tough start to the forthcoming season - despite recording four wins from four in its pre-season fixtures Pep Guardiola has warned his Bayern Munich side that it faces a tough preseason as he looks to implement his ideas on the team.

The Spaniard replaced Jupp Heynckes at the end of the season after he secured an historic treble of Bundesliga, DFB Pokal and Champions League titles last season, and has enjoyed an impressive pre-season campaign to date, notching four wins out of four.However, Guardiola has challenged his new side to continue to work hard before the season proper begins on August 10.

"I know it is not going to be an easy start for us," the former Barcelona boss told reporters after die Roten's latest win, over Brescia. "But we have worked very well over the past two weeks that we've spent together. No-one got injured, almost every player had time to play.

"Of course we still make mistakes, that's normal. But we go step by step."
Winger Franck Ribery, meanwhile, has been left greatly enthused by the start Bayern has made under Guardiola.

The France international added: "Of course it is a strange to have a new coach. Things are very different and new."But this manager has brought in new ideas and we have got the squad to put his tactics into use. Now we have to practice and talk a lot. It's simple."

Bayern will kick off the defense of its Bundesliga title against Borussia Monchengladbach at the Allianz Arena on August 9.

 

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Everton signs Barcelona forward Deulofeu on loan

The Spain Under-20 starlet, who bagged 18 goals in the Segunda Division last season, becomes new Toffees boss Roberto Martinez's fourth signing of the summer transfer window.Everton has completed the signing of Barcelona forward Gerard Deulofeu on a season-long loan deal.

The 19-year-old attacker, who was a part of Spain's squad for the Under-20 World Cup in Turkey, scored 18 times in 33 matches for the Catalan club's 'B' team last season.

"Gerard is a real diamond of Spanish football and a boy with incredible footballing talent and I am delighted that he has chosen to take the next step of his career with Everton," Everton boss Roberto Martinez told the club's official website.

Deulofeu made one appearance in La Liga last season, coming off the bench against Mallorca, and also featured in Champions League group stage ties against Spartak Moscow and Benfica.

However, the Masia academy product's game time at Camp Nou was expected to be limited next season following Barcelona's capture of Brazilian superstar Neymar.

The Blaugrana loanee is Everton's fourth signing of the summer transfer window, with the Toffees having already secured permanent deals for ex-Wigan trio Arouna Kone, Joel Robles and Antolin Alcaraz.

 

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Manchester City 3rd kit for next season !!!

Kit 1kanam Lassanai Bro

 

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Atletico Madrid seal Demichelis deal

Diego Simeone has followed up the signing of David Villa with another economical piece of business after acquiring the Argentine centre-back Atletico Madrid have completed the signing of Martin Demichelis on a free transfer, with the defender penning a one-year deal.

The centre-back has spent the last two seasons with Malaga and made 40 appearances last term as the club reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

But after turning down the offer of a contract extension with los Boquerones, Demichelis has opted to join last season's third-placed Liga side and spoke of his ambitions for the season ahead shortly after putting pen to paper.

He told Marca: "I know that I'm joining the best defence in the league and I hope we can keep that up. I will come here with a humble attitude and will contribute what I can. I hope it's a successful year for me and for the team.

"I know that Miranda and [Diego] Godin have a huge amount of respect in the team, they have both performed exceptionally well in the last few years."My career has never been easy and I've always had healthy competition for places."The 32-year-old then admitted the influence of Atleti boss and compatriot Diego Simeone had swayed his decision to join los Rojiblancos and snub both Malaga and River Plate.

"It was a difficult decision because two clubs to which I am eternally grateful, River and Malaga, wanted to sign me," he added."I went to Argentina and I was thinking about staying there, but then Atletico appeared and Simeone was key in convincing me to join a consolidated group that was playing for trophies.

"Simeone has known about me for a long time and is aware of my performances in the last few years. He is one of the main reasons I'm now an Atletico player."
After selling Radamel Falcao to Monaco earlier this summer, Atleti have bolstered their ranks in recent weeks with the renewal of goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois' loan for a third successive season and the signings of Leo Baptistao and David Villa.

 

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Every Manchester United player trying to impress Moyes, says Rio Ferdinand

The 34-year-old is looking forward to the upcoming season under a new regime, and feels the club's pre-season tour is the perfect opportunity to show the manager his worth Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has revealed that every member of the squad are eager to impress new manager David Moyes.

The team are currently in Thailand for part of their pre-season tour, which end with a testimonial for the former England international when Sevilla travel to Old Trafford on August 9.

And Ferdinand says the United squad are doing their best to prove to Moyes that they deserve a chance in his starting eleven with past achievements mattering little under a new regime.

"I think it's natural that everybody here is trying to impress on this tour," Ferdinand told the club’s official website. "When you get a new manager you want to show him that you should be in the starting XI for that first day of the new season and that process has started already.

"We've been back from our holidays for more than a week and it's been a really good start. It's been very, very hard but it's been enjoyable and I think we'll see the benefits of the work we've been putting in back in Manchester and the work we're about to do on tour.

"That will come in the shape of better fitness and a better understanding of the personalities of the players and the coaching staff, because it's a new era for all of us. Hopefully things will come together and we can get off to a good start once the season begins."

 

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Manchester City close in on Jovetic

The Premier League runners-ups are set to bolster their attacking department with the completion of a double transfer coup Manchester City are set to take their summer spending to over €104 million after moving closer to securing both Fiorentina attacker Stevan Jovetic and Sevilla forward Alvaro Negredo, Goal understands.

Sporting director Txiki Begiristain has not travelled with the squad on their pre-season tour of South Africa as he looks to tie up deals for the pair, who emerged as top targets in recent weeks after missing out on Isco to Real Madrid and Edinson Cavani, who is close to joining Paris Saint-Germain.

City officials met with Jovetic's agent, Fali Ramadani, at Mottram Hall in Cheshire on Wednesday, with both parties keen to discuss a deal to bring the 23-year-old to the Etihad Stadium this summer.

The Premier League runners-up no longer have first option on the Montenegro international following the sacking of Roberto Mancini in May, but have maintained their long-standing interest in the attacker, who they see as a viable alternative to Isco.

Goal understands that Jovetic would receive an €92,000-a-week salary package at City, and club officials are confident of tying up a move in the coming days with Fiorentina happy to maintain their close links to City, harboured following Stefan Savic's move to Serie A last summer.

Meanwhile, City have also received the green light to complete a €23m move for Sevilla striker Alvaro Negredo after the Spanish side confirmed the signing of Carlos Bacca from Club Brugge.

Colombian Bacca has been brought in by Sevilla chief Monchi as a replacement to Negredo, who will see his salary doubled to €87,000-a-week in Manchester.

Sevilla and City have maintained a strong relationship following Jesus Navas' €21m move to the Etihad earlier this summer, and the Premier League outfit have agreed to meet the Spanish outfit's asking price.

Negredo emerged as City's key striker target after the club refused to meet Cavani's €63 million buyout clause at Napoli and baulked at his €290,000-a-week salary demands. The Uruguayan is close to completing a move to the French capital following discussions over his personal terms.

Jovetic and Negredo would be City's third and fourth major signings of the summer re,spectively, with Navas and Fernandinho having already been secured in June prior to Pellegrini's appointment.

 

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Grenier snubs Arsenal to sign new Lyon deal

The midfielder has decided to continue his career at the Ligue 1 giants, while Jean-Michel Aulas has revealed Bafetimbi Gomis, Jimmy Briand and Yoann Gourcuff could all leave Clement Grenier has ended all speculation about his future by signing a new contract with Olympique Lyonnais until the summer of 2016 amid strong interest from Arsenal.

Arsene Wenger recently admitted he was attracted by the prospect of bringing the 22-year-old to the Premier League, but Grenier has decided to extend his stay with his current club.

"My progress at Lyon is not over yet," Grenier said at a press conference.

"I have had a good last six months but I still have a lot to learn here."

Meanwhile, head coach Remi Garde was delighted to tie the France international to a new deal.

"I am very happy to continue working with Clement Grenier. Hopefully we can help him progress further."

Club chairman Jean-Michel Aulas then went on to reveal a number of high-profile players are likely to leave the club ahead of the new season.

France international trio Bafetimbi Gomis, Jimmy Briand and Yoann Gourcuff have all been linked with departures in the close season and Aulas is welcoming offers for all three.

He added: "Bafe and Jimmy Briand are awaiting departure. For Yoann Gourcuff, we are looking for opportunities."

 

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Deulofeu: Barcelona experience will help me at Everton

The striker, who has joined the Toffees on a season-long loan deal, believes training with the likes of Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta can aid his progress in the Premier League New Everton signing Gerard Deulofeu says he hopes his experiences at parent club Barcelona can aid his progress at Goodison Park.

The Spain Under-20 international will spend the next season on loan in the Premier League after finsihing first-team opportunities hard to come by at Camp Nou.

And Deulofeu feels training alongside the likes of Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta will help as he adjusts to life with Everton.




"I’m an attacking player and I can play wide. I’m quite quick, quite decent at one-on-one situations and I’m looking forward very much to helping the Everton team," Deulofeu told the club's official website.

"Obviously training at Barcelona is a fantastic experience. You train alongside players like Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta who are clearly some of the best players in the world. To learn from them is a very nice experience."

Deulofeu represented Barcelona's B team last season, scoring 18 times in 33 Segunda Division matches while also helping Spain's Under-19s to become European champions in 2011 and 2012.

Most recently, the striker represented Spain in the Under-20 World Cup, scoring two goals before being knocked out in the quarter-final stage.

"It was a great and pleasant experience," Deulofeu said of his time at the World Cup. "We were up against some teams like Mexico who we were able to get through against. We didn’t quite manage it against Uruguay, but it was a great experience.

"I’m really looking forward to meeting my new team-mates and getting started. Obviously I have got a few days holiday coming my way because I have just finished in the tournament but I can’t wait to get started."

 

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Liverpool new-boy Mignolet expects to play

The keeper played every minute of Sunderland's campaign last year but faces a fight with Pepe Reina for the Anfield club's No.1 jersey Simon Mignolet has warned Pepe Reina that he has not joined Liverpool to sit on the bench, and expects to be played this season.

The 25-year-old moved to Anfield from Sunderland for a reported £9 million fee in June and has signed a long-term deal with Brendan Rodgers’ side after playing every minute of Sunderland’s Premier League campaign last term.

Mignolet will now compete for the No.1 shirt with Spaniard Reina, who has missed just 20 league games for Liverpool in eight seasons with the club and affirmed his determination to become first choice.

"I'm not here to be sitting and resting. I'm here to come and progress, and play," he said.

"The only thing I can do is train hard, show the manager that I'm ready for it and in the games when I get my chance I have to be there and be ready.

"Competition is something I have had at every single club.

"It's a challenge that can make you better and stronger and I will just try and do my best."

Mignolet has 13 Belgium caps to his name and impressed last season, despite Sunderland’s battle against relegation, keeping 11 clean sheets in 38 appearances.

 

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Verratti: Ibrahimovic makes the difference


The Italian midfielder has singled out the former Milan striker as PSG's main danger man and has set his sights on more silverware this season Marco Verratti has lavished praise on Zlatan Ibrahimovic, saying he is proud to be playing alongside the Sweden international at Paris-Saint Germain.

Ibrahimovic played a key role in the club's Ligue 1 title success last season as he netted 30 goals in 34 league appearances and Verratti feels the attacker was crucial to their campaign."Ibrahimovic is a great player who can make the difference all by himself. I always used to watch him on television and it's an honour to now be playing alongside him," the Italy international told Sportitalia.

"For me Ibra is the best.

"We had a good season. We won the league title, which was our main objective. We were delighted and we want to repeat that success this season."

Verratti made 27 Ligue 1 appearances in his first season for PSG.

 

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Ogbonna undergoes Juventus medical

The Scudetto holders are set to sign the Italy international after agreeing terms with Torino Juventus are close to securing the signature of Torino defender Angelo Ogbonna as he is currently undergoing a medical at the club.

The Italy international had long been linked with a move to the Old Lady and a transfer now only appears to be a matter of time following Juve's latest announcement.

"Ogbonna conducts Juventus medical. The 25-year-old defender visits Turin’s Fornaca clinic and Medicina dello Sport center ahead of a proposed move to the Bianconeri," a Juve statement reads.

Juventus have reached an agreement with Torino over an initial transfer fee believed to be close to €13 million, potentially rising to €15m depending on the fulfillment of a number of clauses.

Ogbonna is a product of the Torino youth academy and had developed into a key player at the Granata since making his official first team debut in February 2007.

He has also caught the attention of Napoli and Manchester United, but now seems set to continue his career at Juventus.

 

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Moutinho targets Champions League

The Portugal international is optimistic about Monaco's chances of success and says they are desperate to make it into European club football's elite competition
Joao Moutinho is confident Monaco have what it takes to qualify for the Champions League this season following the arrival of a number of high-profile names.

The Ligue 1 side have secured the services of players such as James Rodriguez, Radamel Falcao, Eric Abidal and Ricardo Carvalho among others and Moutinho believes they have a good chance of making it into European club football's elite competition.

"In this first year it will be very important for us to qualify for the Champions League, we are aware of it," Moutinho said at a press conference.

"It is a project that involves excellent players, we are building a great squad here in Monaco. It is a winning project, which is exactly what I was aiming for, to be part of a team and be able to fight for all the titles we are involved in.

"I hope to be able to help the team to win as many titles as possible this year and ensure the positive results keep coming for this big club."

Moutinho was officially unveiled as a Monaco player on Wednesday and he insisted he was excited about 'entering a new phase' of his career.

The Portugal international, who has represented his country 59 times, believes Ligue 1 will be fiercely competitive next season, with a number of contenders for the league title.

"The league is growing with a number of great players," Moutinho said.

"This is the case in many clubs, such as PSG, Monaco and many other clubs like Lyon, Marseille, all have won the title recently.

"It is a very competitive league and we will do our best to fight for the title and win it."

Monaco last won Ligue 1 in 2000.

 

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Gotze nearing Bayern debut

The Germany international has returned to the training pitch again after being sidelined by injury Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola has received some encouraging news on the injury front as Mario Gotze's recovery goes according to schedule.

The Germany international picked up a thigh injury in the closing stages of the 2012-13 campaign and then endured a recovery setback in training the week before the Champions League final, which kept him out of the showpiece at Wembley.

Gotze consequently missed the start of Bayern's pre-season, too, but the attacking midfielder is now edging closer to his comeback.

"My situation is ever-improving. I hope that I will shortly be able to play football again," Gotze was quoted as saying by Bild.

The 21-year-old resumed individual light training on Wednesday and is expected to resume regular training within two weeks.

 

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Robinho to Santos deal collapses

The forward had been expected to return to Brazil from AC Milan this summer but both sides have revealed that a transfer is not going to materialise Robinho’s proposed transfer from AC Milan to Santos this summer has collapsed, both clubs have confirmed.

Both sides were unable to agree upon a fee for the former Peixe player, with the forward himself unable to negotiate a potential wage with the Brasileirao team.A club statement read: "Santos reports that it has failed to reach an agreement for a contract with Robinho this window.

"This club, the player and Milan all tried to get the value and conditions that would allow for the transfer, but even with the effort from all sides, it was not possible to achieve the numbers."Milan CEO Adriano Galliani went on to confirm that a deal between the two clubs was off the table and that the ex-Real Madrid man will stay with the Rossoneri."It is true. Robinho is still with Milan. Santos decided a transfer will no longer be negotiated. The deal is closed," he told Lancenet.

Robinho's contract with the San Siro side runs until June 2014.

 

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Basel 1-3 Borussia Dortmund: Mkhitaryan shines in impressive debut

The new BVB arrival set up Marco Reus for the first goal before scoring a brilliant half-volley as Jurgen Klopp's men waltzed to victory in the pre-season clash
Henrikh Mkhitaryan enjoyed an impressive debut for Borussia Dortmund as he grabbed a goal and an assist in a 3-1 friendly win over Basel on Wednesday.

The Armenian, who completed his switch to the Bundesliga side on Monday, set up Marco Reus to score an early goal before producing a fine left-footed finish after Fabian Schar had levelled for the hosts on Wednesday.And, with ex-Shakhtar Donetsk playmaker Mkhitaryan long since withdrawn as one of numerous substitutions, Jonas Hofmann completed the scoring for Juergen Klopp's men with some fine control and a cool finish in the second period.

Dortmund named a strong team ahead of the fixture at St Jakob Park, with recent arrivals Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Mkhitaryan backed by familiar faces such as Roman Weidenfeller, Nuri Sahin and Robert Lewandowski.A combination of old and new soon brought about the first goal, with Mkhitaryan bursting through on the right before teeing up Reus for an easy tap-in from close range.

But Basel were soon back on terms, as a free kick from the right was nodded in by a grateful Schar.There was still time for Mkhitaryan to put a further stamp on the half, however, as he linked up brilliantly with Sahin before half-volleying into the far corner from the left.

Klopp made nine changes to his team at the break and the game lost some of its fluency as a result. However, the 2013 Champions League finalists rounded off their victory with a moment of brilliance in the dying moments.

Hofmann pulled off a fantastic touch to push a cross-field ball past a despairing Basel defender before showing the presence of mind to slot the ball home and complete the win.