..::Football III::..

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Parma 3-2 AC Milan: Parolo stuns Rossoneri at the death

A stunning late free kick from Marco Parolo saw Parma edge out AC Milan 3-2 in a thrilling clash at Stadio Ennio Tardini on Sunday.

The striker opened the scoring in the first half before Antonio Cassano doubled the hosts' lead shortly before the break, but goals from Alessandro Matri and Matias Silvestre in the second half looked to have secured another dramatic comeback for the Rossoneri.

However, Parolo drilled an effort from all of 35 yards into the bottom corner in stoppage time to snatch the three points for the Gialloblu and compound Milan's recent poor run of form away from home.

The hosts made three changes from last week, with goalkeeper Antonio Mirante returning after a one-match suspension while Mario Balotelli was one of four changes for Milan, back in the starting line-up after recovering from a thigh injury.

Parma took the lead with the first action of note in the 11th minute as Parolo found the net, after Ignazio Abate had blocked Massimo Gobbi’s effort into his path following good work from Jonathan Biabany.

The visitors' first chance came in the 33rd minute as Andrea Poli fired narrowly wide of the left-hand post after being played into the area by Valter Birsa.

Cassano then doubled the advantage in first-half stoppage time, receiving a pass from Parolo inside the box and firing into the bottom left-hand corner, with Biabany again troubling Milan left-back Kevin Constant in the build-up.

Five minutes after the break, Gabriel reacted smartly to keep the visitors in the game, getting down low to his left to deny Amauri after he had combined with Cassano.

Walter Gargano then went even closer to a third as Parma continued to dominate, rattling the crossbar from 12 yards after Cassano had teed him up.

They were made to pay for that miss as Milan found two goals in as many minutes against the run of play.

Substitute Matri, on in place of Balotelli, angled a drive across Mirante on the run, the striker's first goal for the club since making his debut as a 19-year-old in his first spell more than a decade ago.

Suddenly Milan were full of life and they found an equaliser two minutes later.

Another second-half introduction, Kaka, was denied by Mirante and from the resulting corner, Cristian Zapata struck the bar with a header before Silvestre nodded home the rebound from six yards.

The sides began to cancel each other out as the half drew to a close, with Nigel de Jong perhaps fortunate to remain on the pitch after a scything challenge before Gabriel made a fine late stop to deny Nicola Sansone.

With the game seemingly destined for a draw, Parolo then stepped up to lash his set-piece beyond Gabriel from distance after Zapata tripped Sansone in stoppage time as Milan's wait for a first league away win of the season continues.

 

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Swansea 0-0 West Ham: All square at the Liberty Stadium

Swansea and West Ham shared the spoils in a largely unspectacular 0-0 draw at the Liberty Stadium on Sunday which saw the Swans move into the top half of the Premier League table.

Sam Allardyce's side, looking for back-to-back away wins after a stunning 3-0 success at Tottenham earlier this month, caused the home defence problems with set-pieces throughout, though were guilty of wasting a number of chances in the first half.

But their profligacy, combined with resolute Swansea defending, ensured both sides would share the spoils in Wales, though Michael Laudrup's men improved after the break with Jussi Jaaskelainen forced to make a super save to claim a point.

Swansea were boosted by the return of captain Ashley Williams, making his first appearance in more than a month after suffering an ankle injury, while West Ham were unchanged from the side that lost 3-1 to Manchester City last week.

West Ham made a lively start to the opening exchanges and Stewart Downing's low drive forced Swansea goalkeeper Michel Vorm into a save at his near post after he cut in from the right.

The home side had a great chance to open the scoring on 16 minutes, but Chico Flores' header was powered straight at Jaaskelainen from Jonathan de Guzman's corner.

West Ham broke immediately following Chico's close call and Ravel Morrison went close, dragging an effort wide from the left after Ricardo Vaz Te had played him in.

The chance boosted the visitors, who then enjoyed a repeated spell of corners, with Guy Demel going closest when unmarked, though he conspired to head over from close range.

West Ham were dealt a blow in the 34th minute when Vaz Te left the field with a wrist injury, to be replaced by Matt Jarvis, but they finished the first half strongly in a display that would have given Allardyce confidence.

Swansea looked to press higher up in the pitch in the second half, however, and Spanish forward Alvaro Vazquez was agonisingly close to getting on the end of a Nathan Dyer cross.

Laudrup replaced Vazquez with Wilfried Bony and he almost made an immediate impact, forcing Jaaskelainen into a superb reflex save from six yards.

Swansea enjoyed an extended spell of pressure in the final 15 minutes of the game, and they had claims for a penalty after Nathan Dyer's cross struck Joe Cole, but their protests were denied as both sides settled for a point, though it means Swansea have failed to win back-to-back Premier League games in 2013.

 

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Chelsea 2-1 Manchester City: Torres snatches last-gasp win at the death

Fernando Torres took advantage of a disastrous last-minute defensive mix-up to give Chelsea a dramatic 2-1 victory over Manchester City at Stamford Bridge.


The match had been heading towards a draw after Sergio Aguero cancelled out Andre Schurrle’s opener but the 90th-minute strike for the Spain striker, who had earlier hit the crossbar, means the Blues move up to second in the table.
Ashley Cole returned to displace Cesar Azpilicueta in Jose Mourinho's only change to the Chelsea XI that beat Schalke 3-0 in the Champions League in midweek.

Vincent Kompany’s continued injury absence with a thigh complaint meant that City boss Manuel Pellegrini handed Martin Demichelis a debut at centre-back and pushed Javi Garcia forward into a holding role to match Chelsea's three-man central midfield.


The reshaped heart of the visitors’ defence was found wanting in the third minute as a corner was partially cleared and Oscar found Cahill, who blazed over when unmarked at the back post.

City proceeded to dominate possession in the first quarter of the match without fashioning a clear chance and they offered up another for the hosts in the 29th minute.For a second time, their backline was virtually non-existent as Torres ghosted onto Ramires' pass, only to fire over with the goal at his mercy.

The striker atoned for his error three minutes later, though, with an electric burst of pace to beat Gael Clichy and cross for Schurrle to enjoy a simple finish.

A seemingly rejuvenated Torres subsequently tormented City's other full-back, Pablo Zabaleta - cutting in past the Argentina international and his countryman Demichelis to rattle Joe Hart's crossbar with a superb curling effort.Petr Cech then beat away a rasping shot on the turn from Aguero in the 42nd minute as City pressed for a way back into the game.

But Cech could do nothing four minutes after the break when the in-form Aguero made light of an acute angle to drill Samir Nasri's through-ball into the top corner -it was the Argentine's sixth goal in four outings and 10th of the season.

Chelsea were suddenly reeling and Cech gratefully grasped Garcia's free header from David Silva's free-kick after Ramires had become the fourth player into referee Howard Webb's notebook for hauling down Nasri.

From similar situations at the other end, Torres and John Terry passed up opportunities from Frank Lampard deliveries and, by the time Cech's left boot had denied Silva in the 65th minute, the contest was wide open.

Aguero searched for another inspired intervention as he lobbed over the far corner following a lightning-quick break involving Silva and substitute Jesus Navas, but it was Torres - and the unfortunate Hart - who were to have the final say.

Pellegrini's team had appeared the most likely winners heading into the closing stages, but as they pressed, Chelsea substitute Willian launched a hopeful ball forward that caused a horrific moment for City defender Matija Nastasic and goalkeeper Joe Hart.

Nastasic headed back towards his own goal, only to see the on-rushing Hart miss the ball to leave Torres with a simple finish for the winner.

 

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Tottenham 1-0 Hull City: Contentious Soldado penalty sends Spurs fourth

A controversial Roberto Soldado penalty earned Tottenham a 1-0 win against Hull City on Sunday, though the north Londoners had been frustrated by the Tigers until the Spaniard's late winner.

Referee Michael Oliver pointed to the spot when Jan Vertonghen's cross smashed into the arm of Ahmed Elmohamady, though it looked unintentional, with Soldado stepping up to slot away the spot-kick and earn Spurs their first home win since September.

Andre Villas-Boas made one change to the Tottenham side that won at Aston Villa in their last Premier League outing, with Gylfi Sigurdsson dropping to the bench as Aaron Lennon started.

Goalkeeper Steve Harper made his first league start for a depleted Hull outfit, one of six alterations to the team beaten by Everton last weekend.

On-loan Hull midfielder Jake Livermore was ineligible to face his parent club, but Tom Huddlestone lined up against his former employers.

Brazilian midfielder Paulinho had the first clear-cut chance of a frantic first half after 10 minutes when he got on the end of Lewis Holtby's dangerous free kick but narrowly cleared Harper's bar from close range.

Harper was called into action five minutes later when in-form winger Andros Townsend tried his luck from 20 yards, but the Hull keeper got down to palm the ball away.

The visitors showed attacking intent of their own and striker Yannick Sagbo burst into the penalty area before forcing a save out of Hugo Lloris.

Hull appealed for a penalty when Paul McShane tangled with Kyle Walker 22 minutes in, but referee Oliver saw nothing untoward.

Huddlestone almost ended his long goal drought in spectacular fashion when volleying just over the bar from 20 yards, while Walker's venomous drive was palmed away by Harper at the other end.

Villas-Boas replaced Sandro with Mousa Dembele at the break and Soldado had his first sight of goal nine minutes into the second half when Towsend played him in, Harper making a fine save at full stretch to deny the former Valencia striker.

After further dogged resistance from Hull, Tottenham were then awarded a penalty when Vertonghen's cross struck Elmohamady's arm and Oliver pointed to the spot, much to the anger of Steve Bruce on the sidelines.

Soldado stepped up to casually send Harper the wrong way and lift the tension at White Hart Lane, his third goal from the penalty spot this season.

There was concern late on for Townsend, though, when he went over the advertising boards at full tilt, but he was able to return and Spurs survived a late scare when Huddlestone blasted a free kick wide in the closing seconds as Tottenham moved up to fourth place.

 

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Ten-man Roma maintain 100 per cent record

Roma further enhanced their title credentials by beating Udinese 1-0 at Estadio Friuli thanks to a late goal from Michael Bradley.

The Giallorossi's 100 per cent record in Serie A this season was under threat when Maicon was sent off for a second yellow card with the scores deadlocked at 0-0, but the American struck eight minutes from time after good work from Kevin Strootman to seal an invaluable three points.

The result made it nine wins from nine matches for the league leaders, despite the absence of Francesco Totti and Gervinho through injury, and coach Rudi Garcia was delighted at his side's resilience in a tense afternoon in Udine.

"It's true that winning in this very difficult arena is impressive, as Udinese were unbeaten here in over a year," he told Sky Sports Italia after the match."Especially when down to 10 men this victory is very important for us and will be for our future too. We had to remain dangerous and work even harder, playing to win even when a man down, and that is a good sign.

"The goal was wonderful, especially with that move when down to 10 men. More than in other games, today we needed fresh legs off the bench like Bradley and Marquinho."

The victory restores Roma's five point lead over Napoli and Juventus at the top of the table following wins for the Partenopei and Scudetto holders on Sunday.

 

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Roma niyamai meh season 1ke

 

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Montella: Cuadrado can do anything

Fiorentina coach Vincenzo Montella was left amazed at the performance of Juan Cuadrado after his double secured a 2-1 win over Chievo.

The Colombian sealed maximum points for the Viola with his first two goals of the Serie A campaign on Sunday, and Montella was delighted with his display against a hard-working home side.

"Cuadrado is certainly unique with his characteristics, as he scored wide left in a 4-3-3 and almost netted on the right in a 3-5-2, so he can do anything," Montella told Sky Sport Italia.

"This was a very difficult, delicate game and we went behind early on against a very organised Chievo side.

"We had patience, quality and I think deserved this victory. I see a solid team that has a lot of belief, but above all that scores more than last season, so I am very, very satisfied.

"I think we adapt to our opponents more than last year. We show off a little less, but that is a sign of growth.

"There was a huge risk we'd lose concentration after Juventus, but aside from the first 10 minutes we were right on it. You can't be less determined than our opponents on a pitch like this."

An Arsenal scout was believed to be at Stadio Bentegodi to watch Cuadrado in action, but Montella made it clear he has no plans to allow the 25-year-old to leave in the January transfer window.

"Is that €30 million for half?" he said when asked whether such a bid could persuade him to sell. "I'm sure he'll stay with us, then we'll see what happens in June."

 

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Conte impressed by Tevez & Llorente strike partnership

Juventus coach Antonio Conte thinks Carlos Tevez and Fernando Llorente are quickly developing into an attacking partnership to fear in Italy.

The duo led the line as the champions recovered from recent defeats to Fiorentina and Real Madrid by beating Genoa 2-0 on Sunday, with Tevez scoring the second goal.

Conte says he is delighted to see that the duo are continuing to improve as they get used to playing in Serie A following their summer moves from Manchester City and Athletic Bilbao respectively.

He told Sky Sport Italia: "Carlos Tevez and Fernando Llorente are getting to know each other and settling into the new reality of Serie A.

"They are doing exactly what I want and what the team needs.

"Llorente is growing; we have been patient because we knew of his qualities. But I expect him to grow even more."

Talking about the victory over Genoa, in which Arturo Vidal opened the scoring with a penalty, Conte was full of praise for his team's display after a difficult week for the club on the pitch.

"It was a good performance, just as it was against Real Madrid and in the game with Fiorentina for the first 70 minutes. We didn't get what we deserved in recent games. We have to keep working on what we're doing with more intensity.

"I liked the approach from my team straight away. We dominated, scored two early goals and could've had more.

"When there are defeats we try to be constructive and learn from mistakes rather than assign blame."

Asked about the other results, including 10-man Roma's 1-0 victory over Udinese, Conte was happy to congratulate his team's title rivals for their stunning start to the campaign.

He added: "I must tip my hat to Roma, because winning nine consecutive games is extraordinary and makes Napoli and Juventus look bad!"

 

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Balotelli was poor, admits Allegri

Massimiliano Allegri admits he was disappointed with Mario Balotelli's performance in AC Milan's 3-2 defeat to Parma on Sunday.

The mercurial striker struggled to make an impact as the home side focused their defensive efforts on frustrating his involvement, with a yellow card for diving the sum total of his efforts before he was withdrawn for Alessandro Matri shortly after half-time.

Allegri concedes he was concerned the former Manchester City man could have been sent off had his frustrations boiled over prior to his substitution, and was left aggrieved at his side's "naive" approach to the game.

"In the first half we created little and conceded twice on the counter-attack," he told Sky Sport Italia.

"We had to change something for the second half. I took off Balotelli because he didn't have a good game, while Poli had done well and it was a tactical issue.

"Balotelli had a few good moments, but overall it was not a good game. I needed a centre-forward who could really play that role and Balotelli wasn't doing it, although he has the characteristics.

"Balotelli had also been booked, so I was afraid we'd go down to 10 men.

"After the break we did more and went close to a third goal, but then that free kick happened at the end. We were naive and conceded two goals just before the end of each half.

"We should’ve closed down and not allowed any more space, but instead we got it wrong."

A last-gasp free kick from Marco Parolo compounded Milan to their third away defeat of the season and Allegri admits their form on their travels is a cause for concern.

"We are not balanced yet, as we go from great focus in the Champions League to distractions in Serie A," he continued.

"I said this game was fundamental for us to keep up with the top six, but as they all won this weekend it becomes even more difficult.

"We need to improve a great deal away from home, as we've only picked up two points this season on our travels."

There was some good news for Rossoneri faithful, however, as Allegri confirmed that Valencia defender Adil Rami and CSKA Moscow midfielder Keisuke Honda would complete their protracted moves to San Siro in the transfer window.

"Adil Rami and Keisuke Honda will be joining us in January and that will strengthen our squad," the 46-year-old added.

 

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Wenger refusing to get carried away with Arsenal form

Arsene Wenger has played down the significance of Arsenal's fine start to the season, which has left them top of the Premier League.

A 2-0 victory at Crystal Palace on Saturday left Wenger's side in first place after nine games, with 22 points - two more than second-placed Liverpool.

Arsenal have recovered strongly from an opening-day defeat at home to Aston Villa, but Wenger is refusing to get carried away as the club chase a first league title in a decade.

"It's a good feeling without any massive significance," the Frenchman said. "We always had a high level of aspiration - the only thing we can do is win our games.

"The only thing that is important is that every win makes you stronger, we have difficult games coming up. That will be a good test.

"We are ambitious; we want to do as well as we can. We want to win this title, unfortunately it is not always possible."

Arsenal face a tough run of fixtures, meeting Chelsea in the Capital One Cup on Tuesday before Premier League meetings with Liverpool and Manchester United sandwich a Champions League clash with Borussia Dortmund.

 

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Higuain can get even better, says Benitez

Napoli coach Rafa Benitez believes Gonzalo Higuain is still not at his best despite his double in Sunday's 2-0 win over Torino.

The Argentina international scored twice from the spot in the first half to secure maximum points for the Partenopei at Stadio San Paolo, and Benitez was thrilled with his all-round contribution, despite insisting he can still improve.

"Higuain is still not at his best but he works hard for the team and does it well," he told Sky Italia after the match. "Even when he is not playing at his best he is still a great player that can make the difference for us. It’s very positive that he put in a good performance after the victory against [Olympique de] Marseille."Napoli's win keeps them level with Juventus on 22 points, five adrift of leaders Roma, and Benitez is fully confident his side can maintain their Scudetto challenge throughout the campaign.

"It's a result that satisfies me although we could have scored more goals," he continued.

"I will not look at the games of Roma or Juventus. My team has the quality to do well and fight for the title, I am convinced that Inter and Fiorentina can also fight for the title, it will be a race of five teams."

 

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Manchester United boss Moyes open to Zaha loan

Manchester United manager David Moyes has admitted he could send Wilfried Zaha out on loan in January in search of regular first-team football.

The 20-year-old is yet to taste Premier League football after joining up with the United squad in the summer - with his sole outing for his new side coming in the Community Shield.

Goal revealed on October 2 that Zaha would prefer a move to Newcastle if the chance for a temporary move is afforded to him, and Moyes is now seemingly open to such a switch.

"I've said if I couldn't get him a game I would look at it in January," he is quoted as saying by The Sun. "I really thought when he came in he needed to be here for six months to see how we work.

"There is competition in the wide areas with Nani, Antonio Valencia, Ashley Young, Adnan Januzaj and even Shinji Kagawa - that makes it one of the areas where we are strong.

"It's not because Wilf has not done enough, it's because we have got big, big competition and there are a lot of players to give some playing time to.

"Unfortunately we've not been able to do that with Wilf. If I can't do a lot for him by January then I will look at it. We've not had the right opportunity to introduce him as much as we'd like but he's very much in my plans."

 

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Ibrahimovic better than Messi and Ronaldo, says Wenger

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger says Zlatan Ibrahimovic is better than Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo at present, following his recent spate of match-winning displays.

The Sweden striker already has 11 goals for the season, including a four-goal haul in Paris Saint-Germain's 5-0 demolition of Anderlecht in the Champions League last week.

That display came on the back of the 32-year-old's outrageous strike in les Parisiens' 4-0 win over Bastia and Wenger says his recent efforts have propelled him ahead of Messi and Ronaldo at present.

The 64-year-old told Telefoot: "Is Zlatan better than Messi & Ronaldo? Right now, I'd say he is. At 32, you know how to get the best from your talent."

Ibrahimovic had been tipped to leave PSG over the summer after just one season with the Ligue 1 champions, following the €64 million signing of Edinson Cavani from Napoli.

But the former AC Milan man made light of those rumours by signing a contract extension with the club in September, which will see him remain at the Parc des Princes until 2016.

 

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Mandzukic world's best striker - Pep

Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola believes Mario Mandzukic's heading ability marks him out as the best forward in world football.

The Croatia striker struck twice in the Bavarians' 3-2 win over Hertha Berlin on Saturday to take his tally for the season to seven goals in 10 Bundesliga appearances.

The arrival of Guardiola at the Allianz Arena had led to speculation that Mandzukic could be surplus to requirements as a result of the Spaniard's preference for a striker-less 'false nine' system during his time with Barcelona.

But the 27-year-old has hit the ground running on the back of his 20 goals in all competitions last season and earned the highest of praise from his coach in the process.

Guardiola told reporters after the game: "With his ability to head the ball inside the penalty area, Mandzukic is the best forward in the world."

Saturday's victory was Bayern's eighth in 10 league games and continues their unbeaten start to the season, but Guardiola emphasised just how difficult a test his side had overcome this weekend.

"Berlin are the best team we've played against," he added.

Mario Gotze scored FCB's third with his first league goal for the club since arriving from Borussia Dortmund in a €37 million deal over the summer, with the victory maintaining Bayern's one-point lead over second-placed BVB.

 

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Ronaldo penalty blatant - Jese

Jese Rodriguez has blasted referee Alberto Undiano for failing to award Cristiano Ronaldo a "blatant" penalty in Real Madrid's 2-1 Clasico defeat to Barcelona.

Los Blancos appealed for a spot-kick in the first half when Victor Valdes spilled a Sami Khedira shot against the arm of Adriano, before Cristiano Ronaldo was barged to the floor by Javier Mascherano inside the area in the second period.

Both incidents were waved away by Undiano, with Neymar and Alexis Sanchez setting the Blaugrana on the road to victory before Jese's injury-time consolation.

“It was a blatant penalty on Cristiano Ronaldo," Jese, 20, told the club's official website after the game. "I was right on the touchline warming up and I saw it clearly. If he had controlled it he would have been open. Refereeing is extremely difficult but there are things that are easy to see."

Madrid left-back Marcelo was equally infuriated and claimed his side could even have won two penalties had decisions gone in their favour.

He said: "The goal was to win, but there are things that work against us that we can’t do anything about. In my opinion there were two blatant penalties. We know that something is always going to happen but there’s nothing we can do about it.

"We’re going to keep working with our heads held high and now we have to think about Sevilla and winning that game. We know that we’re Real Madrid and that we have to forge ahead."

 

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Iniesta ready to sign Barcelona deal

Andres Iniesta has revealed he will sign a new contract with Barcelona in the near future after helping his side to a 2-1 win over Real Madrid on Saturday.

The midfielder was influential as the Blaugrana ensured Gerardo Martino's first Clasico ended in victory, thanks to Neymar's first-half strike and a stunning second-half chip from Alexis Sanchez.

Speculation prior to the game had suggested Iniesta could follow goalkeeper Victor Valdes out of Camp Nou at the end of the campaign, with his current deal set to expire in 2015, but the 29-year-old has no interest in a departure.

He told reporters after the game: “I’m very happy here, and I want to stay. I’ll renew my contract soon.”

Recent clashes between Madrid and Barca have been dominated by the influence of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

But with Neymar and Gareth Bale making their Clasico bows, the stage was set for two new stars to make their mark on arguably the biggest game in club football.

In the end, while Bale was withdrawn on the hour mark after a largely anonymous display, Neymar and Sanchez - who has enjoyed a new lease of life under Martino with the Catalans, stole the headlines.

"The talent players like Neymar and Alexis have is indisputable. They are players that will help Barca win titles, which is what we all want," Iniesta continued.

"We knew that Madrid are very dangerous when they’re given space, and we managed to minimise that aspect of their play, especially in the first half. In the second half we struggled a bit more."

The win sees Liga leaders Barcelona move six points clear of Madrid, who lie in third place, but second-placed Atletico Madrid could move to within a point of los Blancos with victory over Betis on Sunday night.

 

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Moyes delighted with De Gea display against Stoke

David Moyes heaped praise on goalkeeper David de Gea for his performance in Manchester United's 3-2 win over Stoke at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils were facing the possibility of a third Premier League home match in a row without victory on Saturday, as a close-range Peter Crouch effort and Marko Arnautovic's superb free-kick helped the Potters into a 2-1 lead.

Stoke could have been out of sight as Crouch and Jonathan Walters both missed opportunities to extend their lead at 1-0 and Moyes was grateful to his Spanish keeper for keeping Stoke at bay.

"We needed our goalkeeper to make an extraordinary save [to deny Walters] in the first half," he said.

"But that's what he's in the team for, he's there to do that, he's part of the team.
"Stoke have not scored many but they have not conceded many either, so we knew we would have to work hard after going behind."United have been notorious for late comebacks at home in the past, but had only won once on their own turf in the Premier League this season before their victory over Stoke.

But Moyes felt his team deserved the win and was delighted to see all three of his strikers get on the scoresheet.

He added: "I thought in the end we deserved to come back. I thought we did a lot of good things and a lot of poor things that put us in the situation we were in. Some of the play was good but it didn't put is in a position to score goals.

"I thought we were very worthy of getting a goal back. We tried, we knocked at the door, we tried to find ways through.

"In the end, we had three centre forwards on the pitch who all scored goals."

 

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Mysterious figures at Bayern Munich

A group of mysterious figures caused a stir in the crowd at Bayern Munich's clash with Hertha Berlin at the Allianz Arena on Saturday.

The 11 unknown men, each dressed in black robes and sat in a line, were spotted making strange synchronised gestures during the league match, which Bayern won 3-2.

Men In Black | The robed figures startled supporters

Situated six rows from the pitch just beside the halfway line in the stand opposite the broadcasting gantry, the group was also seen by TV viewers all across the world.

One fan, Torsten Schmidt, said: "It was very weird. They sat very still for a long time but then would hold their hands up together, or stand up in unison and then sit down again. Everyone near me was very confused. Some people laughed, some looked astonished. It was just very weird."

A key feature of their clothing was a circular symbol on the chest of their robes. It clearly resembled the logo spotted at a series of linked unexplained event over the past week.

Out of this world | Fans were puzzled by the circular symbol

The same symbol has been seen at locations across the globe, starting with the appearance of a hologram on Rio de Janeiro's Sugarloaf mountain on Sunday, 20 October.

A three-metre football displaying the sign then gouged a huge hole in the turf at London's amateur football hub Hackney Marshes 24 hours later, while New York City's Times Square was struck by similar images on the tourist spot's world famous digital billboards.

Further sightings of the symbol have been witnessed in the Copacabana neighbourhood of Rio and on the Brazilian city's Santa Maria hill, but this is the first time that the mystery has spread to a professional football arena. Also repeatedly spotted at the locations has been the message: #WINNERTAKESEARTH

 

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