..::Football III::..

[Wolverine GTR]

Atalanta 1-1 Inter: Nerazzurri held to a draw by Denis header

Inter dropped points for the fourth time in five games as they were held to a 1-1 draw by midtable Atalanta on Tuesday.

German Denis cancelled out Ricky Alvarez's 16th-minute opener to ensure Inter are now five games without a win against their Lombardy opponents.

Alavarez was the first to react when Rodrigo Palacio headed down Mateo Kovacic's deep cross from the right as he got the visitors off to an ideal start.

However, Denis, who scored five goals against Inter last season, proved to be a thorn in the side for Walter Mazzarri's men once more as he beat the returning Walter Samuel in the air to equalise.

The draw moves Atalanta above Parma and into eighth while Inter remain in fourth, at least temporarily.

The home side made three changes from Saturday's 1-0 defeat to Sampdoria, while Samuel made his first appearance of the season for Inter after recovering from injury, replacing Andrea Ranocchia in defence, and Samir Handanovic returned in goal following suspension.

Atalanta had won their last two home games and were the first to threaten through Michele Canini, who saw his close-range header cleared off the line by Fredy Guarin after nine minutes following Handanovic's inability to retain the ball from a corner.

However, Inter were ahead through Alvarez seven minutes later, courtesy of a neat, swivelled finish as he latched onto Palacio’s knock-down to fire his third goal of the season past Andrea Consigli.

Atalanta were quick to set about finding an equaliser, with former AC Milan defender Mario Yepes twice going close with headers, but Denis would not be denied in the 24th minute.

The forward rose highest to reach a Maximiliano Moralez cross and plant a header past the reach of Handanovic, continuing his hot streak against Inter in the process.

It was played at a frenetic pace thereafter, with Atalanta having the best of the possession despite not threatening Handanovic's goal any further.

Yuto Nagatomo almost put Inter back on top, but his header crashed back off the post four minutes from the break.

Inter were forced into a change of goalkeeper at the break, Juan Pablo Carrizo replacing Handanovic, who appeared to strain a muscle when taking a goal kick in the first half.

Carrizo was forced into his first save a minute short of the hour mark, with Marko Livaja seeing his long-range effort collected at the second attempt.

Inter hit back through Alvarez, when he shimmied well inside the area, before shooting straight at Consigli as both sides pressed for the winner.

Yepes' fierce drive was saved by Carrizo eight minutes from time while Inter saw a penalty turned down a minute later when substitute Mauro Icardi went down in a tumble with Guglielmo Stendardo as the spoils were shared.

 

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Arsenal 0-2 Chelsea: Mata magic helps Blues overcome below-par Gunners

Jose Mourinho maintained his hoodoo over Arsene Wenger as Chelsea beat Arsenal 2-0 to reach the quarter-finals of the Capital One Cup.

Arsenal boss Wenger had failed to secure a victory over a Chelsea side managed by Mourinho in eight attempts before Tuesday night's clash between the top two in the Premier League at the Emirates Stadium.

And Mourinho, taking charge of his 200th game as Chelsea manager, stretched that run to nine as Cesar Azpilicueta scored his first goal for the club following a mistake from Carl Jenkinson and Juan Mata opened his account for the season to give the visitors another London derby victory.

In-form Chelsea have now won their last five games in all competitions and they were good value for their victory against a more inexperienced Arsenal side.

Mourinho vowed to make wholesale changes with the game just two days after Chelsea's Premier League win over Manchester City and he was true to his word, as only Gary Cahill kept his place in the starting line-up.

Wenger also made full use of his Arsenal squad as Laurent Koscielny, Aaron Ramsey and Santi Cazorla were the only players who started the 2-0 victory against Crystal Palace on Saturday to stay in the side.

Such is the strength of Chelsea's squad that they still had plenty of experience in their side and they looked more threatening in the opening stages before they were gifted the lead after 24 minutes.

Jenkinson was the culprit as he hesitated and let the ball bounce before attempting to head back to Lukasz Fabianski, only for marauding full-back Azpilicueta to nip in and poke the ball beyond the Polish goalkeeper with a finish a striker would have been proud of.

The defender almost undid his good work four minutes later when his poor pass was cut out by fellow Spaniard Nacho Monreal, who let fly with a left-foot drive that flashed just past the far post.

Samuel Eto'o had the first sight of goal in the second half but the Chelsea striker fired his shot from 20 yards out wide.

Arsenal responded as Ramsey's shot from inside the penalty area deflected wide of the far post and the Wales midfielder tried his luck from just outside the penalty area 61 minutes in, but was narrowly off target.

Wenger brought on playmaker Mesut Ozil with just over 25 minutes remaining, but Arsenal were left with a mountain to climb just a couple of minutes later when the ball fell for Mata just outside the penalty area and the Spaniard beat Fabianski with a clinical right-foot finish to notch his first goal of the season.

Koscielny had to clear off the line to deny Ramires a third goal and the Brazil midfielder had a shot that landed on top of the net as 9,000 Chelsea fans behind the goal celebrated reaching the last eight.

 

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'No great celebrations at Manchester United yet'

Steve Round insists Manchester United are not celebrating anything yet despite winning three games in a row for the first time this season.

David Moyes' side defeated Norwich in the Capital One Cup with a clinical display and the assistant manager believes this United team has what it takes to go on a trademark winning run.

"This club is used to winning. It has a winning mentality," Round told reporters.

"There was no great celebration after Saturday and there was no great celebration tonight. We just move onto Fulham on Saturday.

"Obviously you need to go on runs in this league and this club's the best in business at doing that. I don't think that's any different at any club but this club does it better than anybody."

Round also revealed he was pleased some of the club's younger players could play their part in such a dominant display, with debutant Wilfried Zaha and Adnan Januzaj impressing.

"It's always pleasing to win 4-0 at Old Trafford and it was a good experience for some of our young players to win here and taste the atmosphere," he added.

"I was really pleased for Wilf Zaha to get a start and play so well. That will have done his confidence a world of good. Obviously there's Adnan too who's going from strength to strength.

"We see him [Januzaj] as a seven, 10 or 11. He could play in any of those roles, and if you ask the reserve coach who had him last season then he'd say his best position is No.9. I think he's capable in any of the front four positions.

"With a young player like Adnan we're trying to give him as much experience as we can and develop him in numerous different positions."

Norwich manager Chris Hughton admitted his side could have performed better, and was upset at the award of a first-half penalty by referee Kevin Friend that allowed Javier Hernandez to break the deadlock.

"Could our performance have been better? Yes, there's no doubt about that. We could have been better on the ball," he said.

"We had a penalty given against us that was very soft and not a penalty. When you come to a stadium and a club like Manchester United you need to make sure you get every bit of help you can.

"To have a penalty given against us as soft as that really deflates you.

"They scored some good goals, they've got great quality and they're very clinical."

 

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Martino: Fabregas made the difference

Barcelona boss Gerardo Martino heaped praise on attacking midfielder Cesc Fabregas after Tuesday's 3-0 win over Celta.

The Spain international played a role in all three goals at the Balaidos. Alexis Sanchez followed up a Fabregas shot to open the scoring, while it was the former Arsenal captain's curler that found the back of the net via Celta goalkeeper Yoel.

Fabregas then completed the scoring to put the outcome beyond all doubt and Martino was in no doubt as to who the man of the match had been.

"I think the game was more comfortable in the second half because Cesc made the difference," the Blaugrana boss told reporters after the game.

"We were never very comfortable after Alexis' goal, but we played with great tranquillity after the second."

Adriano was forced off 31 minutes into the game but Martino is confident that the versatile defender will not be out of action for too long.

"I took him off as a precaution," the Argentine explained. "He had a sore back. I'll have to wait to see how he is."

Barca, who are now four points clear at the top of La Liga, are in action again on Friday, when they take on Catalan rivals Espanyol at Camp Nou.

 

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Wenger: Defensive mistakes costly in Capital One Cup exit

Arsene Wenger was left to rue defensive errors from his Arsenal side as they crashed out of the Capital One Cup at home to London rivals Chelsea.Wenger has now failed to beat a Blues side managed by Jose Mourinho in nine attempts after a 2-0 defeat at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday.

Cesar Azpilicueta scored his first goal for Chelsea and Juan Mata got off the mark for the season as Mourinho's charges secured a deserved win to move into the last eight.

Azpilicueta's opener came as a result of a mistake from right-back Carl Jenkinson, who failed to get enough on an attempted header back to Lukasz Fabianski that allowed the Spanish full-back to nip in apply the finish.

Wenger made eight changes to the side that beat Crystal Palace 2-0 in the Premier League on Saturday and, although Mourinho made 10 alternations to his starting line-up, Chelsea were still able to field an experienced side.

The Arsenal boss felt his team paid the price for being naive, but backed his players to put their cup exit behind them when they face Livepool in the Premier League on Saturday.

Wenger said: "I think it was a very tight game that was decided by one or two mistakes."We were a bit naive in some situations. We gave them a chance to counter-attack when we went 1-0 down and we didn't create many chances ourselves.

"We have to respond well against Liverpool on Saturday because we are in a strong position in the league

"Let's not go too quickly to conclusions because we have taken more points than anybody since January."

 

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Ronaldo accuses Blatter of Messi bias

Cristiano Ronaldo has accused Sepp Blatter of institutional favouritism after the Fifa president revealed he preferred Lionel Messi over the Portuguese.

In a debate at the Oxford Union, the 77-year-old claimed "one spends more time at the hairdressers than the other" in reference to Ronaldo, before saying he preferred Messi, as well as describing him as a "kind man and a good boy".

The comments have resulted in Real Madrid writing to Fifa to call for Blatter to apologise over the remarks, with Ronaldo now giving his own personal reaction.

Ronaldo posted a video of the Swiss making fun of him alongside his own statement on both his Facebook and Twitter accounts.

The 28-year-old said: "This video shows the respect and consideration that Fifa has for me, my club and my country. Much is explained now.

"I wish Mr.Blatter health and a long life, with the certainty that he'll continue to witness the successes of his favourite teams and players."

Ronaldo and Messi were both named on a 23-man shortlist for the Ballon d'Or on Tuesday.

 

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Ancelotti reveals Alonso return

Carlo Ancelotti is hopeful Xabi Alonso will be able to play some part in Real Madrid's fixture with Sevilla on Wednesday.The Spain international has yet to feature for the Liga giants this season, after undergoing surgery on groin and foot injuries.

But the 31-year-old has stepped up his recovery in training, and Ancelotti says he could be in line for a place among the substitutes."He is available," the Italian said. "He is training with the team and I think tomorrow he may start on the bench and try to give him minutes on the pitch.

"He has all the quality to help the team to play better. He has experience, quality and a good attitude."He is a very important player for us."Asier Illarramendi arrived from Real Sociedad in the close-season, and the midfielder is normally employed in a deeper role similar to that of Alonso.

And Ancelotti conceded it would be difficult to utilise both players in his starting XI.He added: "Illarramendi played well against Barcelona because he worked hard and recovered many balls.

"Clearly he is good on the ball and has the same characteristics of Xabi Alonso.
"Alonso's presence can help us improve, but it's hard to play (them) together with our 4-3-3 (system)."Real are looking to bounce back quickly from Saturday's 2-1 defeat to Barcelona in El Clasico and Ancelotti called on his charges to show more intensity against Sevilla.

"We are very close to the game we're trying to play," he continued. "Against Barcelona we lacked continuity.

"In the second half we had control of the game and played with intensity. You have to play every minute with the same intensity."

 

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Diego Costa to play for Spain

Atletico Madrid striker Diego Costa has rejected a call-up from Brazil and officially confirmed he will play international football for Spain.

The 25-year-old has been at the centre of a tug-of-war between La Roja and the country of his birth and was handed a call-up by Luiz Felipe Scolari for Brazil's upcoming friendlies with Honduras and Chile in November.

But after weeks of speculation, Costa, who was granted Spanish citizenship in July, has confirmed his desire to represent Spain by signing an official declaration, revealed in statement on the national side's official website.

"On the morning of Tuesday, November 29, the Brazilian-Spanish player Diego Da Silva Costa "Diego Costa" has come to the notice Serrano 30, where he proceeded to sign a letter which states his intention to play for Spain.

"The letter was given to D. Julio Cesar Avelleda, secretary general of the Confederation Brasileira de Futebol (CBF), and confirms his desire to be available to the Spanish national coach Vicente del Bosque, as of right now.

"Thus, Diego Costa will play for Spain in the next games for the month of November, if deemed appropriate by the national team coach."

Costa is arguably Europe's most in-form striker having struck 11 times in his first 10 Liga games this season.

 

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Sir Alex Ferguson: I wrote my book for the fans

Sir Alex Ferguson has defended the publication of his recent autobiography, insisting it was written for Manchester United supporters.

The book was released last week and has attracted widespread controversy, with Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers condemning the former Red Devils boss over his criticism of captain Steven Gerrard and Jordan Henderson.

The Scot maintains the book was written solely for the Old Trafford faithful as a way of finally revealing the truth for those that have questioned his previous decisions and choices.

"I wrote the book for the fans," he told reporters. “To let them understand why I had to make certain decisions, not for the press.

“The book is to make people understand how difficult the [Manchester United] job is. It's a massive club, the biggest in the world, and that expectation is always there."

Following 26 years in charge of United and a 13th Premier League trophy, Sir Alex retired from football at the end of last season and former Everton boss, Daivd Moyes was appointed his successor.

 

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Ancelotti reveals Alonso return

Carlo Ancelotti is hopeful Xabi Alonso will be able to play some part in Real Madrid's fixture with Sevilla on Wednesday.The Spain international has yet to feature for the Liga giants this season, after undergoing surgery on groin and foot injuries.

But the 31-year-old has stepped up his recovery in training, and Ancelotti says he could be in line for a place among the substitutes."He is available," the Italian said. "He is training with the team and I think tomorrow he may start on the bench and try to give him minutes on the pitch.

"He has all the quality to help the team to play better. He has experience, quality and a good attitude."He is a very important player for us."Asier Illarramendi arrived from Real Sociedad in the close-season, and the midfielder is normally employed in a deeper role similar to that of Alonso.

And Ancelotti conceded it would be difficult to utilise both players in his starting XI.He added: "Illarramendi played well against Barcelona because he worked hard and recovered many balls.

"Clearly he is good on the ball and has the same characteristics of Xabi Alonso.
"Alonso's presence can help us improve, but it's hard to play (them) together with our 4-3-3 (system)."Real are looking to bounce back quickly from Saturday's 2-1 defeat to Barcelona in El Clasico and Ancelotti called on his charges to show more intensity against Sevilla.

"We are very close to the game we're trying to play," he continued. "Against Barcelona we lacked continuity.

"In the second half we had control of the game and played with intensity. You have to play every minute with the same intensity."

Ada match eke poddak hari gahai

 

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Diego Costa to play for Spain

Atletico Madrid striker Diego Costa has rejected a call-up from Brazil and officially confirmed he will play international football for Spain.

The 25-year-old has been at the centre of a tug-of-war between La Roja and the country of his birth and was handed a call-up by Luiz Felipe Scolari for Brazil's upcoming friendlies with Honduras and Chile in November.

But after weeks of speculation, Costa, who was granted Spanish citizenship in July, has confirmed his desire to represent Spain by signing an official declaration, revealed in statement on the national side's official website.

"On the morning of Tuesday, November 29, the Brazilian-Spanish player Diego Da Silva Costa "Diego Costa" has come to the notice Serrano 30, where he proceeded to sign a letter which states his intention to play for Spain.

"The letter was given to D. Julio Cesar Avelleda, secretary general of the Confederation Brasileira de Futebol (CBF), and confirms his desire to be available to the Spanish national coach Vicente del Bosque, as of right now.

"Thus, Diego Costa will play for Spain in the next games for the month of November, if deemed appropriate by the national team coach."

Costa is arguably Europe's most in-form striker having struck 11 times in his first 10 Liga games this season.

Congratz Costa...Another Electric kicker

 

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Diego Costa to play for Spain

 

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Ronaldo accuses Blatter of Messi bias

Cristiano Ronaldo has accused Sepp Blatter of institutional favouritism after the Fifa president revealed he preferred Lionel Messi over the Portuguese.

In a debate at the Oxford Union, the 77-year-old claimed "one spends more time at the hairdressers than the other" in reference to Ronaldo, before saying he preferred Messi, as well as describing him as a "kind man and a good boy".

The comments have resulted in Real Madrid writing to Fifa to call for Blatter to apologise over the remarks, with Ronaldo now giving his own personal reaction.

Ronaldo posted a video of the Swiss making fun of him alongside his own statement on both his Facebook and Twitter accounts.

The 28-year-old said: "This video shows the respect and consideration that Fifa has for me, my club and my country. Much is explained now.

"I wish Mr.Blatter health and a long life, with the certainty that he'll continue to witness the successes of his favourite teams and players."

Ronaldo and Messi were both named on a 23-man shortlist for the Ballon d'Or on Tuesday.

Moda arthal ekak aran tiyenne. CR and Messi compare karala

 

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Letter sent by the President of Real Madrid, Florentino Pérez, to Joseph Blatter at 12:23 p.m.

Dear President,

We were surprised to read your remarks concerning our player Cristiano Ronaldo and his chances of being crowned Ballon d'Or and FIFA Player of the Year winner; this has caused great disappointment among the Real Madrid family because these misguided and unacceptable comments were made by the President of World Football's leading Authority.

On the one hand, they are unfair because they are made about a player who is respected the world over by millions of fans, and not just Real Madrid supporters. He is undeniably one of the greatest footballers that the world has ever seen. The comments are also disrespectful to him as a person as, on the other hand, he embodies sporting values in the eyes of society which is in genuine need of the kind of example that he sets; finally, it is our understanding that your remarks may determine the vote of those whose responsibility it is to decide on the winner of this accolade.

We, at Real Madrid, a club which has a special connection with FIFA in view of our position as a founding member, are profoundly disappointed by the whole episode and, as President of Real Madrid, I want you to know that we condemn your comments, which is why we would ask that you retract them to make up, to the extent possible, for the damage caused both to the player and the institution that we represent.

Yours Sincerely,
Florentino Pérez



Letter sent by the President of FIFA, Joseph Blatter, to the President of Real Madrid, Florentino Pérez, at 16:12 p.m.

Dear President:

I received your letter earlier today and was surprised by the content contained therein.

Firstly, I would like to point out that at the ceremony held last Friday at Oxford University, no discussions were held about the aspirations of any player with regard to the FIFA Ballon d'Or. At the end of my speech, and in response to a question about Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, the moderator asked me to choose between the two and, at that moment in time, having stated that Messi is the kind of son that any mother would like to have, I finally gave his name. However, I would like to make it quite clear that it is my opinion that Cristiano Ronaldo is at the same level as Messi and that both are extraordinary players, each in his own way.

I regret that this situation at a university ceremony has caused you so much distress and I would like to apologise for it. It was never my intention to cause discomfort or show a lack of respect to Real Madrid FC, one of it players or its support, not only because it is the founding club of FIFA but also because it is a club that I have followed and admired since I was a child.

Kind Regards,
Joseph Blatter.

 

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Chelsea can beat anyone, says Mata

Juan Mata believes that Chelsea have proven they can beat anybody this season on the back of knocking Arsenal out of the Capital One Cup.

Jose Mourinho's men recorded back-to-back wins over Manchester City and the Gunners in the past week and Mata thinks that the victories prove their title credentials.

"It was a very important week for us," he added. "Beating Manchester City and Arsenal proves we are ready to play any team and maybe beat them. But it’s too early to talk about titles."

The Spain international has been encouraged to adapt to the Blues' new style by Mourinho, starting just four of the west Londoners' nine Premier League fixtures - and is yet to complete 90 minutes.

But Mata, who scored a stunning goal in Tuesday's 2-0 Capital One Cup win over Arsenal, says he is not fazed by the lack of game time, acknowledging the need to rotate the squad, and is still enjoying his time at the club.

"I am happy at Chelsea," he told TalkSPORT. "I have always felt the support of the fans - in every game, on the street - I have felt the love from them. I try to play for them, score for them and make them happy. We have great support.

"I want to play as much as I can, but if you want to win titles you need 24-25 players ready to play. Anyone can play any game.

"I always train my best and try to do my job the best I can. I have to be ready to play at my best at any time and that’s what I do."

 

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Oddo: Milan lack self-esteem

Former AC Milan defender Massimo Oddo has expressed his concern that the Rossoneri are lacking self-esteem following their disappointing start to the campaign.

Massimiliano Allegri's side are currently 10th in Serie A after an indifferent start, with the 3-2 defeat away to Parma last weekend the latest disappointing result.

"Right now I think the Rossoneri are lacking self-esteem," he told SpazioMilan.it.

"In football, the psychology factor makes all the difference. If they had won their first three games of the season we would be seeing a completely different side right now.

"They need to play in a more relaxed manor, but I understand how difficult it can be in front of the home fans, not wanting to make mistakes.

"This might not be the team of four or five years ago, but it is still a very good team. They are a side under construction.

"Kaka is a player who can make a difference to the side, although he has had three difficult years in Spain. It's important that too much isn't expected of him."

Two of Oddo's former clubs clash on Wednesday as Milan take on Lazio in Serie A.

 

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Barton: Zlatan doesn't deserve Ballon d'Or

Zlatan Ibrahimovic doesn't deserve to win the 2013 Ballon d'Or, according to QPR midfielder Joey Barton.

The 31-year-old had an on-field altercation with the Paris Saint-Germain striker during his time in France, and says he shouldn't win the award, despite praising his obvious talent.

"No, he does not deserve the Ballon d'Or. He is not the best player in the world," said Barton, in an interview with RMC.

"I have no problem with Zlatan. This is a great player and an interesting personality. He is a great goalscorer, his story is remarkable and football needs players like him."

Barton also spoke about another current star of world football, Neymar, and admitted his opinion of the 21-year-old is beginning to change having earlier criticised the Brazilian on Twitter.

"I'm slowly changing my opinion about Neymar, but not completely. He has been compared to [Lionel] Messi and [Cristiano] Ronaldo, but he is not at their level," he said.

The QPR man also gave his thoughts on Marseille after a permanent move to the club failed to materialise following a loan spell in France last season.

"It was a really difficult situation last summer. I was under contract with QPR for another two years. The problem was a financial one," he continued.

"I felt when I first came to the the club that they really wanted me, but last summer I did not feel the same way. I no longer felt loved by the club like I am loved by the people of the city and the fans.

"I certainly have some regrets. I still watch OM matches and think if I could go back to the club as part of the staff I would like that very much."

 

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Wenger: Arsenal will respond against Liverpool

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is confident his side will bounce back from their Capital One Cup exit when they entertain Liverpool in the Premier League on Saturday.

The Emirates Stadium outfit lost their second home game in a row on Tuesday night when Chelsea secured a 2-0 victory thanks to strikes from Cesar Azpilicueta and Juan Mata.

But Wenger allayed fears of a slump and is confident the league leaders will be fully focused on victory against Brendan Rodgers' side, who are currently sitting in third place.

"We will respond against Liverpool, don't worry," he told the club's official website.

"The home form is a concern but not as big as the statistics show it, because I felt in big games against [Borussia] Dortmund and [Chelsea] we gave easy goals away.

"There are positives and negatives, the negatives are we give the goals away, the positives are that we don't give many chances away. So we have to keep doing that and focus on the next game.

"It was a disappointing [result against Chelsea] because we put a lot of effort in and played at a high pace and put ourselves on the back foot.

"Then of course you have to take a big risk always and be a bit open on the counterattack, and in the end we got punished."

 

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Januzaj reminiscent of young Ronaldo, says Fortune

Former Manchester United midfielder Quinton Fortune says that Adnan Janzaj's start to life with the Premier League champions reminds him of Cristiano Ronaldo's first days at Carrington.

The South African, who trained with the 18-year-old last season in the reserves, had been at Old Trafford since 1999 when the Portuguese star arrived from Sporting in 2003.

And now he sees the same self-belief in the Belgium-born teenager as he did in Ronaldo a decade ago, and is convinced Januzaj can have a big future.

"He [Januzaj] was making so much progress and when he went to train with the first team, some of those lads were talking about him," he told reporters.

"He has so much belief and confidence in his own ability and that's hard to see in young players these days. He reminds me of Ronaldo when he arrived.

"He believes in himself and that takes you far in this game. He has great talent and he is a level-headed guy.

"He is doing incredibly well, he is already one of the key players in the team and hopefully that will continue."

Fortune believes it is Januzaj's self-belief that sets him apart from his peers and has backed the youngster to continue his rapid development.

"If Adnan can follow what Ronaldo did it would be unbelievable for himself and the club," he continued. "Adnan has exactly the same mentality [as Ronaldo].

"I don't think Ronaldo lacks confidence, and that is why he is one of the best players in the world. Adnan still has a long way to go, he has had a fantastic start though and I wish him the best.

"The self-belief and confidence set him apart from the other young players I saw at United a couple of years ago and even though he is playing at a higher level now, he has the same mentality.

"He is a fantastic player and there is more to come from him. Once he gets a few more games under his belt you will see an even better performance from him."

 

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Maradona celebrates his 53rd birthday

Footballing legend Diego Maradona celebrates his 53rd birthday today.

The Argentine is considered by many to be the greatest player to have ever played the game, and his remarkable career spanned three decades.

Three amigos | (left to right) Diego in action for Argentinos, Barcelona and Napoli

He made his debut in 1976 for Argentinos Juniors, scoring 115 goals in just 177 appearances for the club. His eye-catching displays eventually earned him a move to Boca Juniors five years later.

After a year with the Argentinian giants, Maradona left his homeland to join Barcelona, where two excellent seasons saw him confirm his status as one of the world's most exciting young talents.

A move to Napoli in 1984 would prove to be a huge moment for the diminutive forward, and his eight years with Partenopei were the best of his career as he lifted two Serie A titles and the Uefa Cup.

Centre of attention | The legend celebrates after helping Napoli to glory in the Uefa Cup

At internatonal level, Maradona made 91 appearances for Argentina, scoring 34 times. He featured in four World Cups- 1982, 1986, 1990 and 1994- reaching two finals in the process.

It was the 1986 tournament in Mexico that will always be considered his peak. Maradona, then 25, almost single-handedly won the World Cup for his country, scoring stunning goals against England and Belgium in the process.

Helping hand | Maradona infamously used his hand to score in the 1986 World Cup quarter-final

He eventually hung up his boots in 1998 following another spell with Boca.

Controversy was never far away from Maradona, from the Hand of God to his three failed drugs tests throughout his career, but Maradona is still an undisputed legend of the game.