..::Football III::..

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Mertesacker: Bayern keep improving every year

Bayern Munich have evolved into a tougher opponent this season, says Arsenal centre-back Per Mertesacker.

Arsene Wenger's side host the Bundesliga leaders at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday in a crunch Champions League clash, with defeats to Dinamo Zagreb and Olympiacos leaving them bottom of Group F.

The Gunners were eliminated by Bayern in round 16 last season and Mertesacker feels recent signings such as Arturo Vidal and Douglas Costa makes the Bavarian side even more formidable this season.

"Due to the two defeats, we are facing one of the biggest challenges that a club can face," he said in an interview with Kicker.

"It is hoped that you can get closer over the years, but the problem is that Bayern are constantly evolving, conjuring up new players like rabbits out of a hat, which again make the difference.

"That makes it even more difficult to beat them at the moment."

 

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Robben: No problem with Wenger calling me a diver

Arjen Robben says he has no problem with Arsene Wenger calling him a diver and warned Bayern Munich that Arsenal "can beat any team" ahead of their Champions League clash on Tuesday.

Arsene Wenger’s side have suffered a dismal start to their European campaign losing their opening two games to Olympiacos and Dinamo Zagreb leaving them bottom of Group F without a point.

In stark contrast, Bayern are in daunting form having a perfect record in both the Bundesliga and the Champions League so far this season, but Robben says they must be careful at the Emirates.

"I think they have got enough quality," he told the Telegraph. "I thought last season they did very well. They won prizes; the FA Cup and the Community Shield.

"They looked very stable and this year they look very strong. I was really surprised to see them lose two Champions League games but, on their good day, I think they can beat any team and we have to be aware."

Robben, who will miss the game in London due to a groin injury, also praised Arsene Wenger as "unique" despite the Frenchman calling him “a very big diver” the last time the two sides met.

"I met him in Brazil,” says Robben. "It was not a problem at all. No hard feelings. I’m quite easy that way."

"If they lose, some managers are disappointed and not always fair and realistic.

"Maybe one week after, they say: ‘OK, maybe it was wrong what I said.’ But I haven’t got a problem. I think he’s unique.

"To be there for such a long time you are doing a lot of things very, very well. See the players who became better [under his charge].

"Look at the way Arsenal has developed. In Holland or Germany, they always talk positively about Arsenal. Why? The way they play, no negative football, always positive technical football, wanting to make the game.
"I think that is big credit to him."

 

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Di Maria: I won't celebrate if I score against Madrid

Paris Saint-Germain star Angel Di Maria promises not to celebrate if he scores against former club Real Madrid in Group A of the Champions League on Wednesday.

The Argentine was sold to Manchester United by los Blancos in the summer of 2014, with Di Maria later claiming he was unappreciated at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Despite the circumstances of his departure however, the 27-year-old, who lifted the Champions League trophy with Madrid that summer, said he would not celebrate out of respect for the club he has fond memories of."If ever I score a goal, I will not celebrate because deep in my heart I will never forget what I experienced at Real," he told Canal+.

Di Maria moved to Parc des Princes in August, and believes the French champions have the quality to challenge other European powerhouses in order to win Europe's premier club competition."We will fight together to win the Champions League," Di Maria said.

"Upon my arrival, I noticed the high quality of Parisian players. With the players we have, we can do it."Both the Ligue 1 and La Liga leaders enter Wednesday's clash with perfect records in Group A so far.

 

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Klopp: Milner is a machine

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has labelled James Milner a "machine" after reflecting on his first game in charge of the club.

The Reds put in an industrious display as they drew 0-0 with Tottenham on Saturday but lacked craft in the final third, Daniel Sturridge and a host of first team players out injured.

Klopp acknowledged his side were not at their best put singled out Milner for praise.

"Of course we should play better football. Not because I say but because we can," he said.
"I'm not sure how many games you saw like this from Adam Lallana? What do you think? I have known of him since he was at Southampton and knew he can do 20 to 30 per cent more.

"Philippe Coutinho? Do you not think he can play better football than that? Of course, he can.

"Lucas? You don't think he can play balls on the right and left? Of course he can.

"Emre Can? Learning between running and passing. He can learn.

"James Milner? The complete football player. The perfect professional. A machine."

Klopp also rejected the suggestion that his squad are under pressure to perform following his arrival, but admits he wants them to embrace his change in style.
He added: "Everything is there. We just have to create a situation where it's possible to do these things. There's pressure but not the biggest pressure, these guys are running for their life."

"When we have the ball the other team has to run. The most important thing is for the players to be prepared to be a little bit wild.

"We are only three days together and you can see that something changed. We didn't want to do it too complicated because it is not physics, it is football."

 

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Moyes plans Sociedad stay amid fan unrest

David Moyes is determined to remain coach of lowly Real Sociedad despite growing pressure from supporters.Sociedad slumped to their fourth defeat in eight La Liga matches after they were beaten 2-0 by Atletico Madrid at Anoeta on Sunday.

Moyes was subjected to jeers at the weekend from Sociedad fans as the club languish above the relegation zone on goal difference, with just one win so far this season.

However, the former Manchester United boss, who has been linked with a return to the Premier League as Aston Villa manager, insists he has no intention of leaving San Sebastian."During the pre-season I had contact with clubs, which is normal, because they know my statistics, but my intention is to stay here at La Real," Moyes told AS.

"I'm not thinking about anything else. You saw the hard work and determination the players put in, how they fought.

"I'm very happy with that and I want to stay, there are no doubts in my mind."
The 52-year-old was only appointed last November to replace Jagoba Arrasate and led Sociedad to a comfortable mid-table finish last season.

Nevertheless, patience for Moyes is wearing thin over their results this term, despite reinforcements arriving in the form of Jonathas and Asier Illarramendi.

 

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Real Madrid v Barcelona date confirmed

Real Madrid will host Barcelona in the first El Clasico of the season on Saturday November 21 at 6.15pm CET (5.15pm GMT), it has been confirmed by the Liga de Futbol Profesional (LFP).

The Spanish rivals, who sit joint-top of La Liga after eight matches alongside Celta Vigo on 18 points, will meet for the first time this campaign at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Madrid won the previous home meeting in October after goals from Cristiano Ronaldo, Pepe and Karim Benzema sealed a 3-1 victory, despite Barca initially taking the lead inside four minutes through Neymar.

Yet last seasons' La Liga winners emerged victorious in the reverse fixture at Camp Nou in March - the last time the two met - with goals from Jeremy Mathieu and Luis Suarez falling in either half of a 2-1 win.

 

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Wenger: We've beaten better Bayern Munich teams before


Arsene Wenger insists that his Arsenal side do not fear Bayern Munich ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League meeting, despite the Bavarians having won every game they have played this season.

Pep Guardiola’s men have streaked clear in the Bundesliga title race, picking up maximum points after nine games, and also top their Champions League group after consecutive wins.

Arsenal’s own place in the competition is at risk after back-to-back defeats against Dinamo Zagreb and Olympiacos, with victory desperately needed against Bayern, and Wenger believes his side can take heart from previous wins over the German champions.

“We could be suspected of not taking the first two Champions League games seriously enough, but that won’t be a problem against Bayern,” Wenger told reporters. “We know we are playing against a top side. Tomorrow everyone will be highly focused.
“We are [confident]. We’ve played great Bayern teams before, at least as good as the one we play tomorrow, and beaten them. The team that won the treble, with [Franck] Ribery at full power, [Arjen] Robben at full power, [Toni] Kroos and [Bastian] Schweinsteiger, [Thomas] Muller.

“There is no team without weaknesses. If you asked me to come out with them now, I wouldn’t do it. But there are no teams without weaknesses.

“We want to defend well, attack well and score the first goal. That is massively important in big games. You can’t say you will score three goals in 20 minutes [as against Manchester United] because that is absolutely crazy.”

Petr Cech will start in goal for the Gunners, with David Ospina carrying an injury, but Wenger has no plans to rest star players Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil.

“You would be surprised if I told you that I’ll rest them tomorrow. Unless I have a very bad sleepless night, maybe, and got it wrong. But normally they play,” he continued.

“These kind of medical predictions are beyond everybody. Even with the most sophisticated equipment doctors cannot predict the impact on the body. But they have no specific problems so I don’t see why they should be [rested].”

 

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Neymar's dad: Santos owners have mental diarrhoea

Neymar's father has accused Santos' owners of having "mental diarrhoea" after they lodged a formal complaint against him and Barcelona to Fifa.

The Brazilian side claim the father of the Brazil captain and the Catalans opened negotiations over his move to Camp Nou two years ago without their permission.
Fifa said on Friday that they were investigating the allegations, but Neymar Sr has responded with a stunning outburst against his son's former club.

Neymar da silva Santos told Sport: They [Barcelona] are p****d off. It's all out of place. [Santos] have acted without intelligence, it's as if the owners of the club have mental diarrhoea.

"Two years have passed since my son came to Barcelona and now they're questioning a transaction made by Fifa. Who had the federative rights? Santos. And now? Barcelona. It's that simple."

In a separate case, Neymar - who scored four goals to help the Catalans down Rayo 5-2 on Saturday - has also had £31.3 million (€42.8m) worth of assets frozen by a Brazilian court following allegations he avoided paying £10.5m (€14.4m) in tax.

The ongoing legal case could also delay negotiations over a new contract for the 23-year-old - whose current deal expires in 2018 - according to his father, who added: "We, the family, are suffering from huge insecurity [to do with taxes and the legal proceedings], so that affects how we plan his career.

"We need these matters to be over. How can we extend something if we don't have tax stability? What is it that is happening? Spain has to tell me if my companies can work with Neymar Jr.

"They have to define what their position is. We are seeing various players suffering from tax sanctions."Why am I going to anticipate a renewal if I don't have certainty that we won't be supported in what we are working for?

"I intend to wait, stay calm and do the best for Neymar."Manchester United were strongly linked with a move for Neymar in the summer, but the player's father reiterated his son's stand that he intends to stay at Camp Nou, regardless of interest from Old Trafford.

"They [Manchester United] phoned Barcelona and got the answer that Neymar has a contract and isn't for sale. Everyone is calm. He chose to play here and he is super happy."

 

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Ramsey: Arsenal can cope with Lewandowski

Aaron Ramsey has backed the Arsenal defence to keep Robert Lewandowski quiet when they host Bayern Munich on Tuesday.

The Poland international, 27, has been in extraordinary form this season, scoring 22 goals in 16 appearances for club and country, inclduing three in two Champions League matches.

However, Ramsey is confident that Arsenal's central defensive pairing will be able to nullify the striker in the crucial Champions League clash at the Emirates Stadium.

"Lewandowski has done really well for the last few years and at the beginning of this season has scored a lot of goals, but we have quality defenders [who] are more than capable of dealing with him," Ramsey told a press conference on Monday.

Despite losing their opening two games in the competition to Dinamo Zagreb and Olympiacos, the Welshman feels the Gunners have the ability to take all three points.

"They are a great team with great individuals but also work hard as a team," Ramsey added.

"They are there or thereabouts every year so it will be difficult, but we are more than capable of a result if we perform how we know we can.

"Previous results have gone against us. You have to give 100 per cent in the Champions League as you're up against the biggest teams. These are ones you want to be in and test yourself.

"Unfortunately in last two Champions League matches we weren't quite there. Our focus is on Bayern we're really looking forward to going out and expressing ourselves."

 

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Cavani: Real Madrid can make you pay in seconds

Paris Saint-Germain striker Edinson Cavani says Real Madrid can "make you pay in seconds" as the teams prepare to clash in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Both the Ligue 1 leaders and their La Liga counterparts have won their opening two games of the competition and will go head-to-head at Parc des Princes for the right to lead Group A outright.

Cavani is wary of the considerable quality in Rafael Benitez's squad but insisted PSG's forwards are also capable of keeping Madrid occupied.

"It's always special, it's a great competition to be playing in, because you get to pit yourself against the very best, against clubs with great history," Cavani told Marca.

"It's always a great occasion when you face Real and we're preparing for the match in the best way possible. One of the things that makes the best teams in the world the best is the fact that, across midfield and up top, they are capable of hurting you.

"It's always an honour to play in games like this one, they have some outstanding players who are capable of making you pay in seconds.

"I think that you have to be switched on for the full 90 minutes against this sort of team, you've always got to be mindful of the opposition and their players.

"But I think that we too are a big club, we're known the world over, and I'm sure that if we prepare for it right, just as we are doing, we can give any team plenty to think about and they'll have to keep a close eye on our forward line."

Javier Pastore, meanwhile, has suggested he could be PSG's key to defeating Madrid on Wednesday.

When asked what would be the decisive factor in beating the current Liga leaders, Pastore replied: "That I play!"

"I don't know [who will play] but I hope to start. It'll be a fantastic game.

"We have to play well, keep possession and be aggressive when we have the ball. I hope we can play a good game.

"You can't deny that Real Madrid are one of the best teams in the world, but playing against Chelsea and Barcelona is also fun. For me, it's the same. The most important thing is to win in order to get to the next round."

 

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Mourinho plays down Falcao early exit rumours

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has responded to rumours that Radamel Falcao may end his loan spell in January, claiming he speaks to the Colombian every day and knows nothing about a premature end to his season-long loan.

Rumblings in the press suggested the striker is unhappy at Stamford Bridge and could head back to Monaco before the end of the season, but the Blues boss played down the rumours.

Speaking to the press in Kiev ahead of the club's Champions League match with Dynamo Kyiv on Tuesday, Mourinho maintained that the striker would not be leaving in January.

"First of all I don’t know if it’s true. I speak with him every day, it’s quite strange that the press knows something that I don’t, or my club know," the Chelsea boss said.

"He has to give us more than Diego Costa. We normally play with one striker and I always go for the performance level for the position - the best one plays."

Mourinho also fielded questions on winger Eden Hazard, after the Belgian was dropped for the win over Aston Villa on Saturday, and refused to say whether the 24-year-old would be recalled for the Dynamo clash.

“Last season, he had a phenomenal season,” the manager said of Hazard.

“I won’t tell you if he will play... they [Dynamo] won’t know.”

 

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Bale to miss PSG clash through injury

Gareth Bale will miss Real Madrid's Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain after suffering a calf injury, the Spanish side have confirmed.

The Wales international missed three weeks of action earlier in the season with the same issue and will definitely sit out Wednesday's clash with the Ligue 1 champions.

"Following medical tests on Gareth Bale at the University Hospital Sanitas La Moraleja he has been diagnosed with an injury in the soleus muscle of his left leg. His recovery will continue to be assessed," a statement from the club read.

Bale was substituted at half-time of Real Madrid's 3-0 win over Levante after playing in both Wales' Euro 2016 qualifiers against Andorra and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

The former Tottenham star has contributed two goals and four assists in all competitions so far this season.

 

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Clattenburg chosen to referee Manchester derby

Mark Clattenburg will take charge of this weekend’s derby between Manchester United and Manchester City at Old Trafford.

The 40-year-old referee was also in charge the last time these two teams met in April, when Louis van Gaal’s side emerged with a 4-2 victory.

So far this season he has overseen two City matches — their win over Watford and their defeat to Tottenham — while he was also in the middle for United’s 3-2 win at Southampton.

In total, he's refereed 11 games since August, awarding 44 yellow cards and handing out two red cards.

United go into the game two points back from their city rivals and will leapfrog Manuel Pellegrini’s side with three points.

However, City will see it as the perfect opportunity to put five points between them and their neighbours.

Both sides go into the game on the back of impressive results — United won 3-0 at Everton and City beat Bournemouth 5-1 without injured duo Sergio Aguero and David Silva, neither of whom will be back for Sunday’s match.

Van Gaal has admitted that a win for his side will cement their place in this year’s Premier League title race.

 

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Mourinho denies Yarmolenko interest


Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has denied reports that he was scouting Dynamo Kyiv winger Andriy Yarmolenko when the coach watched Ukraine's defeat to Spain in Kiev last week.

The Blues are in Ukraine for a crunch Group G clash against Dynamo, having picked up three points from their opening two games, while the hosts are top of the pile after a win and a draw so far.

And the Portuguese was in Kiev as recently as last week, with reports suggeesting the reason for his trip was to scout Yarmolenko, who has recently signed a new five-year deal with the Ukrainian league champions.

But Mourinho, speaking to the media ahead of the match with Sergei Rebrov's side, suggested that he was not their to scout transfer targets as the club already have enough wingers.

"Of course I wasn’t looking at [other] players," the Chelsea boss said.

"We cannot make a collection of wingers."

Ahead of the match with Dynamo, Chelsea have a number of injury worries, as Pedro and Remy have not travelled but Mourinho insisted they do not have serious problems and hinted both could be back in time for Saturday's Premier League match against West Ham.

"We have other options and it would be big risk to play them," he added.

"They both have little injuries. Nothing really important, but not possible for this game. It would be a big risk for tomorrow, so we take no risk.

"We have other options and other players. Especially because they play in positions where we really do have other options."

Pedro played 83 minutes of Saturday's 2-0 win over Aston Villa and was praised along with fellow winger Willian for his work-rate, while Remy was only a stoppage-time substitute in the same game.

 

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Muller: Arsenal are under enormous pressure

Bayern Munich forward Thomas Muller says Arsenal should consider themselves under "enormous pressure" ahead of Tuesday's Champions League clash at the Emirates Stadium.

Arsene Wenger's side are bottom of Group F after shock defeats to Dinamo Zagreb and Olympiacos and must aim for a positive result against the 2013 European champions to keep their hopes of reaching the knockout rounds alive.

Muller says the pressure is firmly on the home side after Bayern won their opening two games but denied any suggestion that the Bundesliga leaders can expect a comfortable win.

"Arsenal are under enormous pressure ahead of the game but you can't talk about a clear favourite. It's certainly a game I'm looking forward to," he said.

"We won the last two games here, and I scored in both games. Tomorrow I will go on the pitch and remember good memories of playing here. We're all excited, but it'll be no walk in the park!

"Both teams play an attacking game. In the end I hope it's a good game, but a better one for us."

Midfielder Xabi Alonso expressed shock at Arsenal's Champions League form and described "great respect" for manager Arsene Wenger.

"Of course we're a bit surprised, but even though they have zero points, they're still a good team. We're well prepared," said the former Real Madrid man.

"Winning the Champions League is one of our big aims, but [the final in] Milan is still far away and we have to take it step by step.

"Wenger is very important for the club, he's been an important footballing personality. I have great respect for him."

Wenger has already stressed his side will hold no fear of Robert Lewandowski, despite the Poland international having scored 22 goals in just 16 games so far this season in a remarkable run of personal form.

While he has praised his efforts in front of goal, Alonso says he values Lewandowksi's defensive work for Pep Guardiola's side just as highly.

"He's in incredible form, he's a great team player who also helps out at the back. That's important for a midfielder. He's certainly one of our key players," he said.

 

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Guardiola: Wenger is everything to Arsenal

Arsene Wenger is everything to Arsenal after revolutionising the club, according to Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola.

Bayern face the Gunners in a Champions League clash at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday, with the gap between the pair standing at six points at the home side needing to win to keep their hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages alive.

And although Arsenal have lost both of their opening fixtures in the competition, Guardiola remains in awe of Wenger, who has changed the philosophy of the club since taking the helm in 1996 and become the Gunners' figurehead.

"Twenty years at one club is now impossible," Guardiola told reporters on Monday. "Wenger is not only a coach, he is a sporting director.

"He changed the club. They played defensively before he came.

"Wenger is more than just a coach for this club - he is almost everything."

 

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Barcelona will appeal Uefa flag fine

Barcelona vice-president Jordi Mestre says the club will fight the €40,000 fine handed to them by Uefa for the Estelada flags flown by their fans in the recent Champions League game at Camp Nou against Bayer Leverkusen.

The flags, which support the independence movement in Catalonia but are not deemed official or appropriate by Uefa, were also on display at last season’s Champions League final in Berlin.

Uefa fined Barca €30,000 on that occasion, prompting talks between the La Liga champions and European football’s governing body.

However, after Monday’s events, Mestre has admitted those talks have not been purposeful.

“They’ve not gone down well because we have been given a €40,000 fine for the independence chants and the Esteladas,” the 53-year-old said upon his arrival in Minsk ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League game with BATE Borisov.

“We started a diplomatic process which has not worked and we don’t like it. We had some conversations that have not provided results.

“First we will speak with UEFA and we will go to the CAS [Court of Arbitration for Sport]; if necessary we will go to the ordinary court in Switzerland and maybe even the court in Strasbourg.”

Despite being upset with Uefa’s decision, Mestre insists Barcelona are not looking for a fight with the organisation.

“It is not a war, we only want to defend the interests of the club and we will never limit what our fans say, who have always been an example,” he added.

 

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Garcia urges Roma to 'give everything' against Leverkusen

Rudi Garcia is under no illusions as to the importance of victory when Roma face Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday.

Roma have mustered just one point from their opening two Champions League group games so far, having drawn with Barcelona before losing to BATE last time out.

Though Garcia denies Tuesday's meeting at the BayArena will determine their survival in the competition, he has called on his players to "give everything" over the next two matchdays.

"We know that Leverkusen are a very good side," he said. "They have played well in this competition so far and we know that they are highly competitive.

"If we don't get results in the next two games, it will be very, very difficult to progress. We are employing different systems in our games. We don't have to master just one but be tactically flexible. We have to put in a strong performance, then we can get a result.

"There is no point in looking backwards, neither at the BATE loss nor the draw against Barcelona. We now have to win points if we want to go through. A win tomorrow would go a long way. It is not a decisive game, but it will point the way.

"There is no need to underline again the importance of this double-header against Leverkusen. We will have to give everything we have."

Alessandro Florenzi is determined to see Roma deliver a stronger performance after they found themselves 3-0 down to BATE inside half an hour in their last European outing.

"Last year we were in with a shout of qualification right until the end," the Italian international said.

"Tomorrow we want to show what we can do. We need to approach the match with a different attitude to BATE and stay in the game right until the final whistle."

Florenzi struck a stunning goal from distance in the 1-1 draw with Barcelona, but insists he can still improve.

"I'm working to become a great player. I try to do well with both Roma and Italy and hope to benefit the team each time I play," added the 24-year-old.

"I'm lucky to have two good coaches at Roma and Italy who are able to get the best out of me. I can't stop here. I need to keep working hard and showing what I can do. This is just the beginning for me."

 

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Busquets backs Neymar to fill Messi void

Neymar can be a true Barcelona "leader" in the absence of Lionel Messi, midfielder Sergio Busquets insists.

The Brazil international scored four as Barca beat Rayo Vallecano 5-2 on Saturday to keep pace with Real Madrid at the top of La Liga after eight games.

Neymar was booed by some sections of the Camp Nou crowd for his display in the 2-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen on matchday two of the Champions League but, as they prepare to take on BATE, Busquets has no doubt the Brazil captain can shine as Messi continues his recovery from a knee injury.

"Messi's absence does show," Busquets said. "We're trying to give everything so that we don't notice his absence, but we do. He scores more goals, gives more assists.

"Neymar has the capability to be a leader in the absence of Leo. He's one of those players who can make the team feel better."

Barca have been hit hard by injuries so far this season, especially given that they cannot field Arda Turan and Aleix Vidal until January due to a FIFA-imposed ban.

Busquets, however, says they can have few excuses for any dip in form as they look to take maximum points from two games against the Belarusian champions.

"It's not normal that FIFA won't allow us to sign players. But we have no excuses. We know that Arda and Aleix Vidal can't play for us until January," he said.

"To win here and to win afterwards in Barcelona would give us six very important points.

"We respect all our opponents. All away games in the Champions League are difficult. We're ready, but all we think about is winning."

 

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Wenger reveals plans to stop 'outstanding' Lewandowski

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has revealed how his side will try to stop Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Lewandowski has scored 16 goals in 11 club appearances so far this term, as well as a further six for Poland in their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign.

And Wenger believes his defenders will have to be at the top of their game to get the better of him.

"First of all the best way to combat him is for us to have the ball," Wenger was quoted as saying by Arsenal's official website.

"After that you have to be shrewd with him because inside the box he is outstanding, because of his technique, his finishing, his movement inside the box.

"That’s where we need the experience of Mertesacker and Koscielny to deal with that because that will be one of the important things on the night."

Bayern are among the favourites to win the Champions League this season, with Pep Guardiola's outfit top of Group F after wins over Olympiacos and Dinamo Zagreb.

The Bavarians have also triumphed in all nine of their Bundesliga encounters to date, and Wenger believes Arsenal are underdogs ahead of Tuesday's clash at the Emirates Stadium.

"You have to respect Bayern," he said. "Historically they have won the European Cup how many times? Five? And Arsenal zero. So you cannot say that historically we are at the same level as Bayern.

"They have done it in the past and they have the history and the knowledge. What we want is to get there.

"In 2015 we are the team that has taken more points than everybody else. But in Europe it’s true we have been poor in our first two games. That is what we want to correct.

"I must say we have our backs to the wall and we play against a top, top team. So I can understand the scepticism of people. But we have to prove them wrong.

"We don’t look at the history. We look at the potential performance on the day. That’s what we try to do. The history doesn’t play the game. What will decide the game is the performance we produce. That comes from if we believe we can do it."