..::Football III::..

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Mourinho: Pressure? Refugees are under pressure


Jose Mourinho claims he is not feeling the heat as Chelsea manager despite the club's defeat to Everton, stating "the refugees are under pressure, not me".

The Premier League champions were beaten 3-1 at Goodison Park to leave them with just one win from their opening five top-flight games this season.

But Mourinho cited bad luck as the reason for Chelsea's struggles so far this term and dismissed suggestions that the pressure is mounting on his own position.

"No [I don't feel under pressure]. I think the refugees are under big pressure," he said. "It's a pleasure and an honour to coach Chelsea.
"We deserve a better result, we played for a better result, and we don't deserve this result.

"Confidence is low, an unhappy team because of bad results, a team with some doubts because of every unlucky incident. For me, clearly, you can say what you want but the players deserve a much better result.

"The big concern is everything goes against us. Every mistake we are punished, immediately. The players, they feel that weight.

"We need to win a couple of consecutive matches, for the players to smile again, the strikers to score goals, the defenders not to make mistakes and be punished.

"We need confidence. I think confidence is fundamental. The players fight, they play, they try, but it's not easy. I don't like when you ask me questions saying 'somebody told this, somebody told that'."

 

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Ronaldo is a beast! - Ramos

Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos has hailed Cristiano Ronaldo as a "beast" after his five goals against Espanyol.

The Portugal international became Madrid's top goalscorer in Liga history as he took his tally to 230 and surpassed Raul with this third strike.

And Ramos took to Twitter to congratulate his team-mate on a stunning performance.

He wrote: "Complete performance: a clean sheet and 3 points. Well done to the Beast @Cristiano for his 5 goals. #HalaMadrid".

Ramos' central defensive partner Pepe continued the praise for the former Manchester United star as he singled out his compatriot for answering the critics who claimed he had started the season quietly.

"I'm happy with the team's work," he told reporters. "Although he [Ronaldo] didn't help us by scoring, he was important in other games. Today I congratulate him because he had a great game.

"Espanyol have a good team despite this win. They're a good team but it's impossible when Ronaldo has this sort of day. You have to give credit to our players and to Cristiano."

 

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Everything is better with Messi - Neymar

Neymar hailed Barcelona team-mate Lionel Messi's impact against Atletico Madrid, with the Brazil forward claiming "everything is better with him on the pitch".

Messi came off the bench for Barcelona on Saturday, playing just 30 minutes but still producing the winner in the Catalans' 2-1 triumph at the Vicente Calderon.

Neymar, who struck Barca's equaliser with a direct free-kick after Fernando Torres had given Atleti the lead, was full of praise for Messi's impact, with the Argentine forward having missed Friday's training session due to the birth of his second child.

"We got a quick equaliser which was very important," Neymar told Movistar Plus.

"Messi then came on and he always makes the difference. We went on to win the game."

Luis Suarez's deft touch set up Messi's winner in the 77th minute, with the latter lifting his shot over the onrushing Jan Oblak with the outside of his left boot.

Barcelona full-back Sergi Roberto added: "There is nobody like Leo. He's a father again, he could not train with us, but today he decided the game.

"We are proud to have him on the team."

Barcelona lead La Liga with a perfect nine points from three matches having already beaten Athletic Bilbao, Malaga and Atleti this season.

But Neymar was not getting carried away with the Catalan club's title defence despite Barca having maintained their two-point lead over Real Madrid.

"It's too early to talk about but it is true that we have started the league very well," he said.

"We have worked well and we have won three big teams."

 

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Ronaldo is a historic player - Benitez


Real Madrid coach Rafa Benitez had nothing but praise for Cristiano Ronaldo after the Portugal international netted five times in the 6-0 win over Espanyol to become the Santiago Bernabeu outfit's all-time top goalscorer in La Liga.

The prolific attacker was chasing previous record holder Raul, who scored 228 Liga goals for Madrid, and his quintuple strike haul saw him move onto 230.

"I like to talk about the team when you get a victory this big, but you cannot forget the five goals Ronaldo scored. And it could even have been more," said Benitez.

"The numbers speak for themselves. Someone who scores so many goals deserves a place in history. There is no doubt about that.

"He deserves his place just like Raul and Alfredo Di Stefano. We are talking about three historic players here. I hope Cristiano will keep scoring, for himself and for the team.

"I’m very satisfied with the result and the way it was achieved. And as always, there are things to improve, we have to keep working."

 

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Tottenham release Adebayor from contract

Tottenham have announced striker Emmanuel Adebayor has been released by the club after an agreement was reached with the player.

The Togo international was linked with summer moves to Aston Villa and West Ham, and is now free to join a new club with his deal at White Hart Lane cut short.

The former Arsenal forward joined Spurs in 2012, but struggled to establish himself back in north London and leaves the club having scored 24 goals in 76 appearances.

Having excelled under Tim Sherwood, Adebayor failed to establish himself under Mauricio Pochettino, and has been on the pitch for just six minutes since March 15.

The 31-year-old's departure leaves Spurs with just Harry Kane as a recognised striker, though new signings Heung-Min Son and Clinton N'Jie can both play in forward areas.

 

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Herrera: I'd never taken a penalty before!

Ander Herrera's well-struck penalty in Manchester United's 3-1 win over arch-rivals Liverpool was the first one he has taken in competitive action, the Spanish midfielder has revealed.

Having been felled by Joe Gomez in the box, Herrera stepped up to drill the resulting spot-kick home 20 minutes from time, as United went 2-0 up before Anthony Martial and Christian Benteke both netted superb goals.

Herrera deputised on penalty duties in the absence of the injured Wayne Rooney and put in plenty of practise before being called upon from 12 yards in Saturday's Premier League clash.

Asked by MUTV if had taken a penalty before, Herrera said: "Never, never. But the manager [Louis van Gaal] last season gave me the confidence.

"He told me I had the quality to take penalties and I have practiced every week. And, when I received the penalty, I thought the number-one taker isn't on the pitch, I'm the second taker so I'm happy for that. But, next time, if the number-one taker is on the pitch I won't be taking it.

"I tried to hit it as hard as possible and it was a good goal but the most important thing was the win."

The significance of the result was not lost on Herrera, as he added: "It's not only a victory.

"It's a very special day for us and our fans. When I arrived here, I realised what this game means for our fans. I have played three games against them [Liverpool] and beat them in every game, so I am very happy."

 

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Pellegrini: Man City a great team? We must win Champions League first

Manchester City cannot be considered "a great team" without winning the Uefa Champions League, manager Manuel Pellegrini has claimed.

City will begin their fifth straight Champions League campaign at home to Juventus on Tuesday, with the Etihad Stadium club having generally struggled in Europe's premier competition.

In City's first two Champions League forays they failed to advance from their group, while the past two have seen them dumped out in the round of 16 by Barcelona.

While City may have moved five points clear in the Premier League with a 1-0 win at Crystal Palace on Saturday, their manager reckons continental success stands between them and legend status.

"It is impossible for you to be remembered as a great team if you do not win the Champions League," Pellegrini said.

"Of course we have been a great team in England because it is not easy to win two titles in four years and be runners-up in the other two seasons.

"I am sure we will continue to be successful in the Premier League but, apart from Yaya [Toure], we didn't have players who have won a title in Europe.

"It isn't easy. There are strong teams like Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, so it is very important to be lucky in the draw."

Along with Juventus, City are set to face Sevilla and Borussia Monchengladbach in Group D.

In City's 135-year history, the Manchester-based club's only continental success was the Uefa Cup Winners' Cup in 1970.

 

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Draxler unhappy with Wolfsburg debut

Wolfsburg attacking midfielder Julian Draxler conceded there is "room for improvement" after his debut ended in a 0-0 draw at newly promoted Ingolstadt.

Draxler and fellow deadline-day signing Dante both started against Ingolstadt on Saturday, as Dieter Hecking's men struggled to get going in their fourth match of the Bundesliga season.

The result saw Wolfsburg drop four points adrift of leaders Borussia Dortmund and reigning champions Bayern Munich, with Draxler claiming last term's runners-up need time to gel after the arrival of a number of new players.

"There is still room for improvement. I still need a little time," the former Schalke man said, according to Bild.

"Some of the guys I know only for two days. With a 0-0 in Ingolstadt we can generally not be satisfied.

"I too could have in one or two situations maybe attacked the goal more purposefully."

Draxler arrived at Wolfsburg after six senior seasons with Schalke, where he scored 18 goals in 119 Bundesliga matches, and was signed as a replacement for Kevin De Bruyne following his move to Manchester City.

 

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Rodgers must end his obsession with 4-3-3, says Carragher

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has hit out at Brendan Rodgers' tactics after the 3-1 Premier League defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday.

Goals from Daley Blind, Ander Herrera and debutant Anthony Martial condemned the visitors to a second consecutive league loss, despite Christian Benteke's brilliant overhead kick.

Carragher, who retired in 2013 after 17 seasons at Anfield, has insisted Rodgers must ditch his "obsession" with lining the team up in a 4-3-3 formation if they are to improve their results.

"I don't understand this obsession with playing 4-3-3," he told Sky Sports. "There is not enough support for Benteke.

"Brendan Rodgers has come to the club playing 4-3-3 and it didn't work. The great season they had was with two strikers and how they got them into the team. It is down to the manager.

"They have got a lot of strikers, no wide players, and he continues to play 4-3-3. They have no wide players – they have only got Jordon Ibe.

"For me [Philippe] Coutinho is not a wide player and I don't understand what the point was in playing Danny Ings in that position. He didn't give the support to Benteke.

"Think about how many strikers Liverpool have on the books - [Danny] Sturridge is another one who is still to come back."

After finishing sixth in last season's Premier League, Liverpool have made a poor start to this campaign, winning twice and scoring just three goals in their first five matches.

 

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Van Gaal: Man Utd have sights set on Man City after good start

Louis van Gaal has given his Manchester United side pass marks for their start to the new season and insisted they have their sights set on Premier League leaders Manchester City.

A 3-1 victory over rivals Liverpool at Old Trafford on Saturday moved them into second place in the early-season table, with only their local rivals left in front of them.

Van Gaal has told the United squad they still have some improvements to make, but praised them for their performances and results in 2015-16.

"We have qualified [for the Uefa Champions League], we have 10 points out of five matches and I think that is a good record – there is only one club better," said the 64-year-old at his post-match press conference.

"Our aim is to be the best. Now we are five points behind Manchester City so we still look to that position, but I am happy.

"In a difficult period like we had in the transfer period with a lot of problems with players coming and going then I think we have managed it very well."

Van Gaal was impressed with the majority of the game against Liverpool, but wanted his team to show more of a killer instinct after Daley Blind's well-worked opening goal, with Ander Herrera's penalty and Anthony Martial's debut strike eventually getting the job done.

"I think the performance was good, we had very high control of the match until the first goal," the Dutchman said.

"It was a fantastic ‘studied’ goal so all the meetings and training sessions have paid off and it was also a wonderful shot from Daley.

"Still I want to improve. After that we didn’t kill the game and we have to do that but the first goal decided the match because they had to come at us, giving us more space so we could score more."

United travel to face PSV in their Champions League opener on Tuesday before facing another away game against Southampton in the Premier League on Sunday.

 

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Vermaelen injured AGAIN as calf problem sidelines Barcelona defender

Barcelona defender Thomas Vermaelen has been dealt another injury blow, as the Belgium international limped out of the 2-1 win over Atletico Madrid on Saturday night.

Vermaelen, who signed from Arsenal at the start of the 2014/15 season, was brought off after 27 minutes at the Vicente Calderon with a calf problem, though it is not yet known how long the defender will be forced to sit out.

The Belgium international missed much of last season's treble winning campaign through injury and, after a solid pre-season, was believed to be getting back to his best form and fitness before suffering this latest injury set back.

But despite Vermaelen limping off in the first half, Barcelona went on to collect all three points in a 2-1 as Lionel Messi, benched by manager Luis Enrique, netted the winner after 77 minutes, following Neymar's equaliser, cancelling out Fernando Torres' Atleti opener.

 

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Sneijder set to sign new Galatasaray deal

Wesley Sneijder is on the verge of signing a two-year contract extension at Galatasaray , the club have confirmed.

The Netherlands midfielder has been linked with Serie A champions Juventus and a return to Inter in recent months, but has remained in Istanbul and is expected to finalise a new deal.

Galatasaray chairman Dursun Ozbek has revealed he will hold advanced talks with Sneijder's agent next week and told HaberTurk : "We are going to announce it officially after that meeting."

Sneijder joined the Turkish champions from Inter in 2013 and has won the Super Lig title twice.

An issue over unpaid wages – Sneijder went two months without receiving money – threatened to turn sour last year, but the matter was resolved.

The 31-year-old has scored 37 goals in 107 appearances for Galatasaray, who start their Champions League group campaign at home against Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.

 

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Rooney a major doubt for Man Utd's trip to PSV

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney is a major doubt for his side's Champions League clash against PSV Eindhoven.

The forward missed Saturday's 3-1 win over Liverpool after suffering a hamstring injury in training, and manager Louis van Gaal admits it is unlikely his captain will make the trip to the Netherlands.

The former Barcelona coach is more confident Rooney will be fit to take on Southampton on September 20 in their next domestic outing.

"He is injured so we have to take care of him," he told MUTV. "I think he is very important for us and I don’t to take any risks so that’s why he doesn’t play [against Liverpool].

"I don’t think he will play against PSV Eindhoven, but maybe he shall play at Southampton. We have to wait and see if he can play against PSV because we still have three days to go."

United's clash with the Eredivisie champions marks their return to Champions League group stages having missed out last season, with Rooney's hat-trick against Club Brugge helping them through the play-off round.

 

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Sunderland 0-1 Tottenham: Late Mason strike seals first win for Spurs

Tottenham recorded their first Premier League win of the new season after Ryan Mason's late strike gave Mauricio Pochettino's side a 1-0 victory at the Stadium of Light that sent Sunderland bottom.

The two sides came into the match placed 17th and 19th in the table and their lack of confidence showed in a disappointing match on Sunday.

The home side produced a spirited performance and had the best of the chances when former Spurs striker Jermain Defoe hit the post in the first half.

Tottenham did not have a single attempt on target until the closing stages, but Mason's 82nd-minute finish gave them the points, although he was injured in the process of scoring and left the field on a stretcher.

The crossbar denied Jack Rodwell late on as Sunderland were left to rue their bad luck.

Heung-min Son played for 62 minutes in a relatively quiet performance after being handed his Tottenham debut, while Fabio Borini was given his second Sunderland bow after re-joining the club from Liverpool and Ola Toivonen made his first start.

Sunderland had a scare just one minute into the match when Kyle Walker appealed for a penalty after a heavy collision with Patrick van Aanholt, but referee Craig Pawson was unmoved.

Defoe shot straight at Hugo Lloris for the hosts, while Jeremain Lens was not far away with an effort after cutting inside from the right.

Defoe then missed a golden opportunity to find the breakthrough midway through the first half after he was played through by a pinpoint Lens pass.

The striker beat Toby Alderweireld for pace and a goal looked inevitable as he bore down on Lloris, only for his shot to cannon off the foot of the post and out to safety.

Sunderland threatened through Defoe again when he tested Lloris after twisting into space despite being pulled back by Alderweireld.

At the other end, a crucial challenge from Jordi Gomez denied Son the chance to pull the trigger after a slick passing move as Tottenham were otherwise restricted to long-range chances in the first half.

Defoe and Lens continued to cause trouble for Spurs after the break and the duo combined again before the Dutch winger forced Lloris into a low diving stop.

Harry Kane mis-kicked awfully when Mason's dipping cross fell into his path as his wait for a 2015-16 Premier League goal goes on.

Eric Dier and Mason finally managed to work Costel Pantilimon for the first time in the final 15 minutes as Spurs began to gain momentum.

The victory was sealed when substitute Erik Lamela slipped through Mason, who recovered after a poor first touch to impressively dink his finish over Pantilimon as he injured himself in the act of scoring.

Sunderland would have felt hard done by to fall behind and Rodwell crashed a shot against the crossbar with five minutes left after good work from Younes Kaboul before Pantilimon denied Kane what would have been an undeserved second goal for Tottenham.

 

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PSG aiming for Champions League final - Thiago Silva

Paris Saint-Germain defender Thiago Silva has indicated that the Champions League final is in his thoughts this season, as the club look to improve on 2014-15's quarter-final defeat to Barcelona.

The reigning French champions drew 2-2 with Bordeaux on Friday but remain top of Ligue 1 and begin their Champions League campaign at home to Malmo on Tuesday.

And Thiago Silva, who partners fellow Brazil international David Luiz in the PSG defence, believes that the French club should be aiming for the final of Europe's premier competition.

"When I look at our team here on the ground, I imagine many things and especially the final of the Champions League," the 30-year-old told Telefoot.

He also singled out team-mate Blaise Matuidi for praise, following the France international's impressive start to the season, including netting a brace in France's 2-1 win over Serbia.

"Technically, physically, I think he's a phenomenon," the Brazil defender added.

 

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Gerrard: I don't think Rafael Benitez liked me

Steven Gerrard believes he had a good understanding with all of his managers at Liverpool apart from Rafael Benitez - and was left embarrassed by the Spaniard's facts rant "meltdown".

The current Real Madrid head coach spent six years at Anfield, guiding the club to the 2005 Champions League title in his first season at the helm, when Liverpool rallied from 3-0 down to beat Milan on penalties in Istanbul.

Yet despite sharing that triumph, the former England international has suggested he had a mixed relationship with Benitez.

"I don't think Rafa Benitez liked me as a person. I'm not sure why, but that's the feeling I got from him," Gerrard wrote in his book 'My Story', which is being serialised by the Daily Mail.

"I can pick up the phone and speak to all of my previous Liverpool managers. Except for Rafa.

"It's a shame because we probably shared the biggest night of both our careers - the 2005 Champions League victory in Istanbul - and yet there is no bond between us."

The LA Galaxy midfielder also revealed how Benitez only ever called him by his surname, while the Spaniard's use of nicknames for other players riled him.

"At press conferences he might call other players by their first name but I was always 'Gerrard'. It was the same in the dressing room. He would read out the team and use nicknames. But, for me, it would just be 'Gerrard'," he added.

"Our working relationship was ultra-professional and his frostiness drove me to become a better player. I had a hunger to earn a compliment from him - but also a hunger to let him know he really needed me as a player."

Recalling the infamous press conference from 2009 when Benitez launched an attack on then-Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson as the sides battled for the Premier League title, claiming the Scot received preferential treatment from the Football Association, Gerrard outlined his awkwardness at the episode.

Liverpool were top at the time, but finished second behind United.

"One time he did suffer a meltdown involving Manchester United and Sir Alex Ferguson," the former Liverpool captain wrote.

"I went home from training that Friday lunchtime and switched on the TV. Rafa sat down with his usual half-smile. It looked likely to be a normal press conference, but then he reached into his pocket for a piece of paper.

"He spread it out on the table and began to read out one 'fact' after another. Rafa kept saying 'fact... fact... fact...' and I could not believe what I was hearing. I was grabbing the couch, digging my fingers into the arms, feeling embarrassed for him. It seemed so unlike Rafa to talk in such an emotional way. You could see the anger in him.

"Rafa was sounding muddled and bitter and paranoid. He was humiliating himself. It was a disaster."

 

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Tottenham victory fully deserved - Pochettino

Tottenham head coach Mauricio Pochettino insists that his side fully deserved their 1-0 victory over Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on Sunday.

Spurs did not have a shot on target until the final 15 minutes and a well-worked winner from Ryan Mason - who injured his knee in the process - did not arrive until the 82nd minute.

But Pochettino says that his side were worthy winners and insists that performances will improve after Spurs secured their first victory of the 2015-16 season.

"The first half was 50/50 - an open game, but we dominated the second half," said the former Southampton boss. "We are very pleased for our first victory. Our tempo was very good, we played a high tempo from the beginning.

"It was a hard game for us, an open game, but I think we dominated it and we deserved to win the match.

"It is another clean sheet, the first victory of the league after five games and now we can move on. This will help us with our confidence for the next games.

"The goal showed how we try to play and what our philosophy is, it was fantastic but unlucky for Mason because he got a big knock on his knee.

"We will assess him on Monday, we hope it is not anything permanent."

Harry Kane again failed to score for Spurs but Pochettino insists that he was pleased with the England international's performance.

"I am very happy with him, he gave his best for the team, his effort was great and you know he only needs time to score again - I am sure he will arrive at that moment," he added.

"Yes [he can still have another great season]. Remember he didn't start to score until maybe two months into last season. Last year he scored an own goal here - so this was better!

"He is very confident and very happy after the game in the changing room. He puts the result and the collective situation first before individual problems or targets and this is why we are very pleased with the player."

Tottenham are back in action on Thursday when they face Qarabag at White Hart Lane in the Europa League.

 

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Robben will not rush recovery from injury

Arjen Robben insists that he will not rush his recovery from a groin problem as he wants to be instrumental in Bayern Munich's bid for domestic and European dominance this season.

The winger is facing four weeks out following his injury setback sustained on international duty with Netherlands, but is wary of returning before he has recuperated properly.

Asked if he had a schedule for his comeback, Robben said: "No, not at all.

"Of course, you always want to get fit as fast as possible, but the most important thing now is to get fit without any risks. Because if I come back, I want to play until the end of the season."

Bayern start their Champions League campaign at Olympiacos on Wednesday and Robben has stressed the importance of respecting the Greek side.

He said: "If you participate in a competition [Champions League], you want to go to final, that's our aim.

"But it's not easy, because there are so many top clubs in Europe at the moment, so you have to be in top form all the time, you can't be dozy in one game, otherwise you will punished.

"We know exactly that you have to be from the beginning in top form in the Champions League, especially the first game you have to win, in order to be good placed in group.

"That has to be our aim, but I'm sure there will be no problems, our team has a correct characteristic."

 

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Iniesta: Messi not angry at being benched

Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta says Lionel Messi was not angry at being left out of the starting XI against Atletico Madrid.

Messi missed training on Friday in order to be with girlfriend Antonella Roccuzzo for the birth of his second son, Mateo.

Barca coach Luis Enrique opted to leave him among the substitutes at the Vicente Calderon until the hour mark, when the Argentina star came on for Ivan Rakitic before scoring the winner in the 2-1 victory.

Iniesta insists his team-mate had no qualms with the coach's decision, telling reporters: "He's not angry at being left out. It's normal after the journey and everything that's happened over the last few days.

"Ultimately, it's the work of everyone that helps the team go forward.

"Leo is a unique player, he makes a difference and today he did it again. I'm very happy for him and the team.

"We know that games here are always more difficult than normal. We matched the intensity of Atletico when we didn't have the ball and with the ball we played very well.

"I think we played a very, very complete match."

Sergi Roberto, who again filled in at right-back in place of the injured Dani Alves, was keen to hail the decisive nature of Messi's appearance from the bench as Barca prepare to visit Roma in the Champions League on Wednesday.

"There is nobody like Leo. He's a father again, he could not train with us, but today he decided the game," Roberto told the club's official website.

"The team played very well the whole match and Leo was decisive when he came in.

"It's true we have two tough away games but now we only have one. We're thinking about Roma and the Champions League because it is always important to start off with a win."

 

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Leicester City 3-2 Aston Villa: Dyer header completes superb Foxes comeback

Leicester City mounted a stunning comeback to beat Aston Villa 3-2 and maintain their unbeaten start to the Premier League season on Sunday.

The visitors looked to be coasting at the King Power Stadium after excellent strikes from Jack Grealish and Carles Gil put them two goals to the good.

But Claudio Ranieri's side scored three times in the final 18 minutes to climb to second in the table, with Ritchie De Laet, Jamie Vardy and Nathan Dyer on target.

Debutant Dyer's winning effort – a brave header under pressure from Brad Guzan and Alan Hutton – left the Swansea City loanee floored, though he did pick himself up to finish the match.

Leicester are now nine top-flight games unbeaten, while Tim Sherwood's Villa sit 15th, having earned just four points from their opening five matches.

The hosts – for whom Gokhan Inler made his first start – quickly penned Villa back inside their own half, but an error from Robert Huth brought about a change in momentum, handing the visitors a great opportunity inside eight minutes.

Gil sent the German's stray pass straight into the path of Gabriel Agbonlahor, but Scott Sinclair could not convert from his square ball at the back post.

Leicester responded well, with Wes Morgan rising above Jordan Amavi to nod a free-kick over the top moments later.

The hosts' early pressure subsided and Sherwood's men looked dangerous when attacking down their left, though crosses from Agbonlahor and Amavi did not result in anything to worry Kasper Schmeichel.

The Dane was finally called into action in the 24th minute, with Gil blocking an attempted pass from Jeffrey Schlupp and racing down the right.

He then cut inside and teed up Grealish, who sent a tame effort straight down the middle and into Schmeichel's arms.

However, the 20-year-old made no mistake at the second time of asking, curling home a stunning effort six minutes before the interval after a scramble in the Leicester box.

Within three minutes of the restart the hosts nearly restored parity, with Vardy's flick from a Schlupp cross trickling just wide of the near post.

The momentum quickly swung in Leicester's favour and it took a clearance from debutant Joleon Lescott to divert Riyad Mahrez's effort behind for a corner.

And Ranieri's charges were made to rue their missed chances in the 64th minute as Gil bent a sublime strike into the top corner following Agbonlahor's bursting run down the left.

Leicester were aggrieved not to have been awarded a penalty 20 minutes from time as Leandro Bacuna felled Vardy, but those concerns vanished when De Laet flicked the ball into the back of the net from the resulting corner, Keiren Westwood's attempt to keep it out on the line proving fruitless.

And the equaliser came 10 minutes latrer, with Vardy converting from Danny Drinkwater's low cross into the centre of the box.

The hosts then stepped up their push for a winner and with one minute of normal time remaining it came as second-half substitute Dyer found the back of the net with a courageous header.