..::Football IV::..

[Wolverine GTR]

CSKA Moscow 1-1 Bayer Leverkusen: Visitors through as Monaco beat Spurs

CSKA Moscow snatched a second-half equaliser to hold Bayer Leverkusen to a 1-1 draw on Tuesday, but Monaco's win over Tottenham secured last-16 progression for Roger Schmidt's side regardless.

Kevin Volland's first-half strike looked to have sealed all three points for the visitors at Arena CSKA, but a penalty from Bibras Natcho denied them a victory, although it was also not enough to save the Russians from elimination.

The result kept Spurs' last-16 hopes alive, but they could not hold up their end of the bargain in Monaco as Djibril Sidibe and Thomas Lemar secured top spot for Leonardo Jardim's men, and second for the Germans.

Volland capped a strong start Roger Schmidt's side when he fired low past Igor Akinfeev after only 16 minutes, ensuring that the Russia international's wait for a clean sheet in the competition extended to 38 matches.

CSKA had earlier come close through Aleksandr Golovin and saw a shot from Alan Dzagoev whistle off-target, but, despite some sustained pressure, they had to wait until midway through the second half for another clear chance, when Golovin's effort was stopped just in time by Bernd Leno.

Leonid Slutsky's side gave themselves some hope 15 minutes from time, when Natcho fired his penalty low past Leno following a clumsy foul from Benjamin Henrichs, and they got a stroke of luck when Volland rattled the post with 10 minutes to play.

But there was to be no winner in sub-zero conditions in Russia, meaning CSKA must now focus on scrapping for a Europa League spot with Spurs when they meet at Wembley on matchday six.

CSKA wasted two clear chances for a valuable early goal, Golovin shooting straight at Leno from close range, having earlier frozen when one-on-one with the goalkeeper, although Hakan Calhanoglu fired narrowly wide of the post to give the home side a scare.

It was a lesson CSKA appeared not to heed, however. On 16 minutes, Calhanoglu played a free-kick short to Kevin Kampl and he chipped the ball into the path of Volland, who had time to control and fire low past Akinfeev from 12 yards after beating the offside trap.

Dzagoev, back from a long-term hamstring injury, blasted inches over after a good turn in the area, but CSKA had the assistant's flag to thank for preventing them from falling further behind when Omer Toprak turned in a rebound from Calhanoglu's free-kick, only for Javier Hernandez to have strayed offside.

CSKA mounted some good pressure after the break, though 18-year-old striker Fedor Chalov was given negligible service on his Champions League debut and struggled against the robust pairing of Toprak and Jonathan Tah.

Leverkusen looked dangerous on the counter-attack, particularly through the positive runs of Julian Brandt, and Calhanoglu bent a free-kick agonisingly wide after the young Germany winger had been fouled on one such promising burst forward.

The visitors had looked comfortable but came within inches of conceding an equaliser with just over 20 minutes to play, however Leno just did enough to smother the ball on the line after Golovin's shot on the turn had bounced through his legs.

But with 15 minutes to play, CSKA found their lifeline. Henrichs' lunged to reach the ball, but could only crash into Mario Fernandes, allowing Natcho to sweep the ball into Leno's bottom-right corner from the spot.

Volland skipped inside the CSKA area and struck the base of the post with a fine curling shot, but that was as close to a winner as either side came in a frustrating final few minutes.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Luis Enrique in the dark over potential Messi move

Barcelona head coach Luis Enrique says he has no idea if Manchester City could make an offer for Lionel Messi in the near future, but says he is fit to feature against Celtic on Wednesday.

The Catalan side are hoping to tie the Argentine star to a new contract, but have to overcome some financial obstacles before they will be in a position to offer him a deal.

Reports have suggested City could launch an audacious £200 million move for Messi, who missed his side's 0-0 draw with Malaga at the weekend through illness.

However, the coach had no interest in discussing such rumours and instead turned to the player's fitness, stating that both he and Gerard Pique, who sustained a foot injury in Saturday's game, will play in the Champions League match in Glasgow.

"I don’t know. I have no idea," was the coach's response to questions on his knowledge of a potential deal at Tuesday's press conference."I only saw him this morning. It wasn't the best conditions to assess whether he is ready to play, but Leo is always ready to play.

"Lionel is always ready to play and I’m sure he will be ready to face Celtic. He is 100% and eager to give the best version of himself."On Pique, Luis Enrique added: "He's good, he received a little injury to his foot, but in general he is fine and we hope he can play."

Barca romped to a 7-0 win over Celtic in their opening Group C encounter, but Luis Enrique expects a match more like their previous visit to Britain before the international break – a 3-1 loss at former boss Pep Guardiola's City.

Celtic must win and hope City fail to do likewise at Borussia Monchengladbach to keep alive their hopes of progressing, while victory will secure Barca's seemingly inevitable qualification for the last 16.

"I haven't used any images of the game at Camp Nou, it won't be like that," Luis Enrique said."Possibly it is going to be more like the game against City.

"It's going to be a different game and we have to be ready for everything, whether there is high pressure or low pressure."In all games it's important to score early. Celtic need points so I think they will come out to attack. It will be nothing like the game that has gone before."

Their weekend setback left Barca four points behind Real Madrid at the top of La Liga, but Luis Enrique is unconcerned by his team showing relative vulnerabilities compared to their domination of Spanish football over the past two seasons.

"I've got the same feeling," he added. "We are only in the 12th game of La Liga, the fifth game of the Champions League, Christmas still to come."We are going to keep going on. The important thing is that we get as many titles as possible."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Zidane confirms injured Bale is a doubt for Clasico

Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane has admitted that Gareth Bale may be forced to sit out the first El Clasico clash of the season after suffering an injury on Champions League duty.

The Wales international was substituted with an apparent ankle injury during the second half of Tuesday’s meeting with Sporting.He hobbled out of the action just before the hour mark to be replaced by Marco Asensio.

The full extent of the ailment is yet to be determined, but Zidane has conceded that Bale may struggle to make a meeting with Barcelona on December 3.

He told reporters after a dramatic 2-1 victory over Sporting: "Bale has an ankle problem but he needs a thorough exam tomorrow [Wednesday] to see the extent of it.

"It's too soon to say how long he will be out or the size of the problem. We will see, so we don't know if he will be fit for El Clasico."

Bale has little time in which to ready himself for an encounter at Camp Nou, with there only 11 days in which to shake off the knock and rebuild his fitness.Zidane’s side have two more fixtures to take in before then, against Sporting Gijon and Cultural Leonesa, but it is the trip to Catalunya that they will have their eye on.

Real currently sit top of the La Liga standings, four points clear of reigning champions Barca, while their involvement in European competition is already guaranteed to stretch into 2017.

Bale has netted 11 times for club and country this season, in just 19 appearances, and is among the contenders for the 2016 Ballon d’Or.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Leicester 2-1 Brugge: Okazaki and Mahrez fire Foxes through

Leicester City put their Premier League struggles to one side as they booked their place in the knockout stages of the Champions League with a 2-1 win over Club Brugge.

A fourth victory in five outings in the tournament, coupled with Porto's 0-0 draw away in Copenhagen, means the English champions will go through to the last 16 as Group G winners.

Shinji Okazaki fired the home team in front after just five minutes at the King Power Stadium - and they doubled their advantage before the break from the penalty spot.

Riyad Mahrez continued his fine European form with a fourth goal of the campaign, although Claudio Ranieri's side were made to work right through to the final whistle after Jose Izquierdo halved the deficit in the 52nd minute.

The Colombian became the first opposing player to score against Leicester in the competition, yet his powerful drive proved to be no more than a consolation for a Brugge squad now certain to finish bottom of the table.

Leicester may have their domestic issues – they sit just two points clear of the relegation zone following Saturday's 2-1 loss at Watford – but playing in Europe clearly inspires them.

Their opening goal bought back memories of their title triumph from the last campaign, as Danny Drinkwater won the ball just outside his own penalty area to kick-start a lightning counter attack.

Christian Fuchs carried the ball down the left before picking out the waiting Okazaki at the near post with a low cross. The forward produced a first-time finish to give the hosts an ideal start, although he fluffed an almost identical chance soon after when Club Brugge again left him unmarked.However, the second goal that Leicester's dominance merited eventually arrived on the half-hour mark.

Marc Albrighton's turn on the left edge of the area sent him tumbling over Dion Cools' outstretched leg, with French referee Ruddy Buquet immediately pointing to the spot.

Mahrez hammered his effort down the middle, putting Leicester in complete control against opponents who had only scored once so far in the group stages of the competition.

The party mood inside the stadium was briefly extinguished when Izquierdo out-paced Fuchs before smashing a right-footed shot beyond Ron-Robert Zieler.

Jamie Vardy believed he had restored the two-goal cushion when he flicked in Fuchs' centre, only for the referee's assistant to correctly cut short the celebrations by raising his flag for offside.Hans Vanaken was denied an equaliser at the other end for the same reason, yet Brugge sensed the possibility of getting back on level terms.

Although substitutes Jeffrey Schlupp and Demarai Gray spurned opportunities to put the game to bed, Leicester held firm to make sure they would finish at the summit of the group.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Monaco 2-1 Tottenham: Spurs crash out of Champions League

Tottenham's hopes of reaching the Champions League last 16 were ended by Monaco, who will progress as Group E winners following a 2-1 victory at Stade Louis II on Tuesday.

Following the 1-1 draw between CSKA Moscow and Bayer Leverkusen earlier on matchday five, Spurs knew a win would keep their qualification in their own hands, while a draw would leave their hopes looking slim.But ultimately they were on the wrong end of an eventful opening to the second period as the sides traded a trio of goals in five minutes.

Monaco had already seen Hugo Lloris save Radamel Falcao's first-half penalty but their persistence was rewarded three minutes into the second half when Djibril Sidibe headed home from close range.

Harry Kane levelled matters shortly afterwards, tucking home from the spot after Kamil Glik's clumsy tug on Dele Alli, but Monaco's reply was immediate as Thomas Lemar thumped an assured left-footed finish past Lloris from a tight angle.

Try as they might, Spurs could not conjure the equaliser that would have kept them in the competition, and their meeting with CSKA at Wembley in two weeks will decide only who finishes third and claims a place in the Europa League.

Monaco, meanwhile, will head into December's draw as group winners, with their matchday six fixture against runners-up Leverkusen of little relevance.

Spurs welcomed Alli back into their starting XI and the midfielder carved out a gilt-edged opportunity as early as the sixth minute as an incisive ball caught the Monaco backline cold and sent Son Heung-min clean through, but his attempt to round Danijel Subasic was thwarted by the goalkeeper, who pushed the ball wide to safety.

Spurs ought to have been made to pay for that miss five minutes later when a succession of poor defensive clearances culminated in Eric Dier felling Fabinho with a wild swipe inside the area.

But Lloris came to his side's rescue, saving from Falcao low to his right and a double stop from Benjamin Mendy and Valere Germain followed soon afterwards as Spurs wobbled.

Monaco continued to threaten with Lemar thumping a long-range drive that was held by Lloris before Germain arrowed a low shot narrowly wide in the 35th minute.

Glik was perhaps fortunate not to receive a red card for standing on a prone Kane right in front of the referee as the half drew to a close, but the real drama began after the restart.Sidibe put Monaco in front, thumping in a free header from six yards on the end of a cross from Mendy, who got the better of Harry Winks down the left.

Spurs' response was swift as they pulled level four minutes later, Kane succeeding where Falcao failed in converting from the spot after Alli had been hauled down by Glik.However, Tottenham appeared to switch off straight from kick-off.
Monaco worked the ball down the right and Fabinho's cross made its way to the opposite flank and to Lemar, who had time to take a touch and drill a low effort beyond a helpless Lloris.

The France international, formerly of Monaco's local foes Nice, somehow pulled off a scarcely believable one-handed reaction save from Glik's close-range volley, a stop to rival one made against Leverkusen in a 0-0 draw on matchday three.

Lloris was at it again soon afterwards, saving impressively from Falcao but the keeper standing firm as Spurs' outstanding performer and Alli slashing a late chance wide summed up their plight as Mauricio Pochettino's side were sent crashing out.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Sporting 1-2 Real Madrid: Benzema rescues win against 10-man hosts

Karim Benzema came off the bench to give Real Madrid a 2-1 win over 10-man Sporting and keep their hopes of finishing top of Champions League Group F alive.

Borussia Dortmund lead the way heading into the final matchweek, holding a two-point advantage following a scarcely believable 8-4 win over group whipping boys Legia Warsaw.

Madrid appeared condemned to second place when Adrien Silva's penalty cancelled out Raphael Varane's 29th-minute opener, despite Joao Pereira having already seen red for inexplicably punching Mateo Kovacic in the stomach.

Sporting managed to keep returning hero Cristiano Ronaldo quiet, as he failed to score in a match against one of his former sides for the first time in the Champions League, but they could not prevent Benzema from expertly heading home Sergio Ramos' curling free-kick five minutes from time.

Jorge Jesus' side are out but will prolong their European season by dropping down to the Europa League if they avoid defeat at Legia in the final group match, while opposite number Zinedine Zidane will hope the knock to the ankle that saw Gareth Bale limp off during the second period is nothing too serious with the first Clasico of the season against Barcelona 11 days away.

Madrid captain Ramos was forced into an early last-ditch tackle on Silva, while Ronaldo had an early sighter – dragging wide left footed in the fourth minute.

It was an enterprising start from the hosts and they continued to threaten down the flanks, with a sliding Bas Dost unable to get on the end of a low Gelson Martins' cross at the back post.

Dost was culpable when Madrid took the lead in scrappy fashion, playing Varane onside when Sporting failed to clear and Ronaldo's scuffed attempt spun into his path.

Sporting almost hit back instantly and Bruno Cesar's shot was destined for the net until Ramos intervened with a headed block to deflect the ball behind.

Cesar, who put Sporting ahead in their 2-1 loss at the Santiago Bernabeu in September, whipped a free-kick wide with Madrid goalkeeper Keylor Navas scrambling after Marcelo was booked for bringing down Martins – the hosts wanted a penalty but referee Willie Collum correctly ruled the contact took place just outside the box.

Sporting resumed after half time on the front foot but Madrid stood firm, with clear chances proving hard to come by.

Bale limped out of the action after taking a blow to the right ankle in a challenge with Sebastian Coates, although Pereira's idiocy meant any advantage Sporting might derive from that was short-lived.

Jesus' men had a free-kick in a promising position on the right when Marco Asensio brought down fellow substitute Joel Campbell, only for Periera to lash out at Kovacic in the immediate aftermath.Nevertheless, with nothing to lose, Sporting continued to attack and pulled level with 10 minutes remaining.

To the delight of the home faithful, Madrid's former Benfica substitute Fabio Coentrao handled in the area as he kept his arms in the air to appeal for an infringement by Campbell.

Silva drove home from the spot unerringly and the decibel level rose inside the Estadio Jose Alvalade as the prospect of a stunning comeback came into view.
But Benzema had the final word, stealing in front of Coates to head his sixth goal of the season and challenge Dortmund to avoid defeat in Madrid.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Borussia Dortmund 8-4 Legia Warsaw: Reus nets hat-trick in incredible thriller

Marco Reus marked his first appearance of the season with a hat-trick as Borussia Dortmund consolidated top spot in Group F with an 8-4 victory over Legia Warsaw, breaking a Champions League record in the process.

Germany forward Reus, who missed out on Dortmund's Der Klassiker triumph over Bayern Munich last time out with a heel injury, had not featured for Thomas Tuchel's side since May prior to Tuesday's clash at Signal Iduna Park.

And he wasted no time in returning to goal scoring form as he sealed his hat-trick in second-half stoppage time.It was Legia who took the lead through Aleksandar Prijovic early on, but Shinji Kagawa's double and Nuri Sahin's header put Dortmund well in control.

Ousmane Dembele added Dortmund's fourth after Prijovic had snatched another for Jacek Magiera's side, with a Reus double coming before Michal Kucharczyk pulled another one back for Legia.

Felix Passlack's header made it seven for Dortmund, before Nemanja Nikolic netted Legia's fourth, and Reus was on hand to set a new Champions League record of 12 goals in one match.

Despite their lowly position in the group, Legia - who drew 3-3 with Real Madrid on matchday four - started brightly, and were rewarded when Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe took advantage of nonchalant Dortmund defending to tee up Prijovic, who proceeded to curl in a wonderful finish off the outside of his boot.However, the hosts swiftly restored parity, Kagawa ghosting in behind Legia's static back-line to head home Dembele's cross 17 minutes in.

Matters got worse for Legia straight from the restart, as Dembele and Kagawa again combined on the edge of the box, with the latter thumping a venomous finish past Radoslaw Cierzniak.Legia's stand-in goalkeeper was at fault as Dortmund got their third in as many minutes, inexplicably parrying Reus' free-kick onto the head of Sahin and in.

More shambolic defending from Dortmund allowed Prijovic to double his tally with a neat strike, but the forward could only find the woodwork from point-blank range soon after and Legia were made to pay from the resulting counter.

Ciezniak was unable to keep out Dembele's powerful effort from the edge of the area, with Reus getting in on the act three minutes later when he steered in Kagawa's cross.

Weidenfeller finally made a save when he held onto Kucharczyk's header, before Kagawa had a goal disallowed for offside at the culmination of an incredible first-half.

Dortmund netted six in the reverse fixture on matchday one, and Tuchel's side matched that feat on 52 minutes as Reus turned home another tap-in after latching onto Dembele's pass.

Tuchel's side continued to concede space at the back, though, and were duly punished when Kucharczyk raced in behind and prodded a tidy finish over Weidenfeller.

Substitute Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang struck the upright shortly after his introduction, though Passlack did add a seventh for the hosts when he nodded in the rebound from Andre Schurrle's shot, only for Nikolic to net from the restart.

But the record was broken when, in the final minute of added time, Reus completed his hat-trick, maintaining Dortmund's two-point lead at the top of Group F.

 

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12 goals thriller

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Sevilla 1-3 Juventus: Late drama frustrates 10-man hosts

Brilliant late strikes from Leonardo Bonucci and Mario Mandzukic secured injury-hit Juventus' passage to the Champions League knockout phase with a dramatic 3-1 win at 10-man Sevilla on Tuesday.

Sevilla could have secured top spot in Group H for themselves with three points, but their indiscipline counted against them as the persistent Italians clinched the win in the final 10 minutes thanks to Bonucci and Mandzukic.

Jorge Sampaoli's men began with great intensity and looked set to give Juve a torrid time after Nico Pareja's coolly taken early opener, but things soon turned sour.

Creator-in-chief Franco Vazquez picked up two needless yellow cards to earn his dismissal nine minutes before the break and then Claudio Marchisio struck from the penalty spot in first-half stoppage time – the first time Sevilla had conceded in this season's competition.

Sevilla's situation forced them to adopt a more defensive approach after the break and they had generally equipped themselves well, despite the visitors becoming the dominant force in possession.

But Juve ensured their efforts did not go to waste, as Bonucci struck with six minutes to go and Mandzukic wrapped things up at the death to see Massimiliano Allegri's men through, while Sevilla still need to finish the job in the final match against Lyon.

After playing for a 0-0 draw in Turin in September, Sampaoli warned Juve before the match that his side were going to be far more menacing in attack this time around and the players certainly seemed to be on a similar wave length early on.
It took just nine minutes for the hosts to break the deadlock, as Juve cleared Vazquez's corner as far as Pareja on the edge of the box and the Argentinian centre-back found the bottom-left corner with a fine volley.

But the visitors then received the boost they needed late in the first half, as Vazquez first clattered Juan Cuadrado for not putting the ball out of play when Sergio Escudero was injured, before then catching Sami Khedira to pick up a second booking in six minutes.

And Juve ultimately levelled on the stroke of half-time – Marchisio squeezing a penalty under the left hand of Sergio Rico after Gabriel Mercado dragged Bonucci to the ground.

Sevilla's numerical disadvantage resulted in them sitting back more after the break and looking to catch Juve on the counter.

Such a scenario presented itself early in the half, but Vitolo was starved of support following Luciano Vietto's half-time withdrawal and had to settle for a corner after Bonucci forced him out wide.

Things got no easier for Sevilla as Sampaoli was sent to the stands for protesting just before the hour mark.And just when the home side looked destined to hold on to the point that would see them through to the knockout phase, Juve struck the hammer blow.

Cuadrado's right-wing cross was cleared to the edge of the box and Bonucci latched on to it, sending a rasping first-time drive past the helpless Rico and into the bottom-right corner.

Mandzukic then ended Sevilla's hopes of a late equaliser with a cool finish across Rico into the bottom-right from 16 yards, leaving the hosts sweating on their chances of qualification with one match to go away to a Lyon side chasing second spot.

 

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Dinamo Zagreb 0-1 Lyon: Lacazette winner gives French side glimmer of hope

Alexandre Lacazette's second-half goal gave Lyon a glimmer of hope of Champions League progress as they beat Dinamo Zagreb 1-0 at Stadion Maksimir.France international Lacazette struck after 72 minutes to break the resolve of a Dinamo defence that had frustrated a below-par Lyon side on Tuesday.

The result means last season's Ligue 1 runners-up can still challenge for second place in Group H if they beat group leaders Sevilla in the final round of group games, but they would need to win by two clear goals and a place in the Europa League looks a more likely destiny for them.

Bruno Genesio will need more from his men if they are to overturn Sevilla than they showed in Croatia, where it was the young Dinamo players who impressed more than the likes of Lacazette, Mathieu Valbuena and Maxime Gonalons.

Dinamo are guaranteed to finish bottom of the group after failing to earn a point from five games, but they played with pride in their final home game in European competition this season.

Ivaylo Petev's youthful side knew the Champions League spotlight would soon be moving away from them and they took the opportunity to express themselves in the early stages.

Amer Gojak danced through the Lyon defence before Ante Coric fired a shot just over the crossbar and moments later Mario Situm hit a deflected, dipping effort that Anthony Lopes had to dive backwards to save.

Domagoj Pavicic drew another smart stop from Lopes with a shot across the face of goal, but as the game wore on Lyon showed their quality and Valbuena linked up with Rafael to carve out a chance for Jordan Ferri, who lashed a fierce effort onto the crossbar to give the home side a scare.

Lyon ramped up the pressure as half-time approached and it was only the quick reactions of Dinamo captain Josip Pivaric that kept Maxwel Cornet's shot on the turn from breaking the deadlock, before Gojak spurned a chance at the other end with a close-range header, while Lopes was alert to save at the feet of Angelo Henriquez.Lyon played a higher defensive line after the break, and Dinamo's attacking threat was weakened by an injury to Coric that forced the playmaker out of the game.

But Bruno Genesio's side struggled to turn their second-half dominance into chances and the Lyon coach sent on Corentin Tolisso and Nabil Fekir as he sought a potentially priceless winning goal.

The substitution energised Lyon and just over five minutes later Rafael latched onto a throughball and crossed for Lacazette to poke home the easiest of goals from close range.

Lacazette's goal proved enough to give Lyon the win, and the news of Juventus' 3-1 win over Sevilla set up a tense tie against the Spaniards at Parc Olympique Lyonnais.

 

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'Gutted' Kane laments conceding 'schoolboy' Monaco winner

Harry Kane reflected on a bitterly disappointing Champions League campaign for Tottenham after their elimination was confirmed by Monaco.

Spurs came into Tuesday's meeting at Stade Louis II needing at least a draw to keep their hopes of progressing from Group E alive, but they were distinctly second best as the hosts ran out 2-1 winners.

Kane's penalty levelled the scores four minutes after Djibril Sidibe's opener early in the second period, but Spurs found themselves behind again just over 30 seconds later as Thomas Lemar fired home.

Monaco sealed their qualification as group winners with victory, but Spurs have only third place and the Europa League to play for, leaving Kane to rue Monaco's winner so soon after his equaliser, as well as Spurs' two home defeats earlier in the campaign.

"We're disappointed obviously, I don't think we were good enough today anyway but we got ourselves back in it at 1-1 and it was schoolboy to concede straight away after that," Kane told BT Sport.

"We've got to try and push and get another but we conceded straight away and that took the stuffing out of us and we didn't have enough to come back into the game.

"Obviously we're gutted. We wanted to go far, we're all disappointed but it's something we'll have to deal with, dust ourselves down and get ready for the weekend [against Chelsea].

"Losing two of our home games... in this competition it's got to be a fortress.Although we're at Wembley it's no excuse, we've got to make it difficult and use it to our advantage and we didn't.

"It's always difficult away from home in the Champions League, the home games is where we should have been better."

Spurs wasted a gilt-edged opportunity in the sixth minute when Son Heung-min went through one-on-one but was denied by Danijel Subasic, but Kane said the South Korean could not be blamed for a listless defeat.

"It was a big chance, Sonny knows that, nine times out of 10 he'd put that away but we can't use that as an excuse, we just weren't good enough," he said.

 

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Benzema overtakes Eusebio on list of Champions League top scorers

Karim Benzema's winning goal against Sporting saw him move up to seventh place on the list of European Cup and Champions League top scorers, overtaking Eusebio.

Benzema, 28, scored late on in Portugal after Adrien Silva appeared to have salvaged a point for the home side by cancelling out Raphael Varane's opening goal.

The Frenchman has now netted 48 goals in 87 appearances in Europe's top competition and is level with Andriy Shevchenko and Zlatan Ibrahimovic on the all-time list.

He is just one short of Real Madrid legend Alfredo Di Stefano and two behind Thierry Henry, who is currently the most prolific Frenchman in the competition's history.At the top of the list, Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 95 goals and Lionel Messi has accumulated 90, though the Argentine boasts the superior goals-per-game rate.

Raul, on 71 goals, completes a top three that is some way ahead of the chasing pack, with Ruud van Nistelrooy next on 56 goals and Benzema and Ibrahimovic the closest active challengers.

Benzema started the Sporting game among the substitutes and has had a slow start to the 2016-17 season, scoring five goals in 14 games before tonight's fixture.

He has had six 20-goal campaigns for Real Madrid and last season bagged 28 goals in 36 matches, the most prolific scoring rate of his career so far.

 

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UEFA Champions League Group Stages Fixtures 2016.11.23

UEFA Champions League Group Stages Fixtures 2016.11.23

Rostov Vs Bayern

Besiktas Vs Benfica

Arsenal Vs PSG

Atletico Madrid Vs PSV

Celtic Vs Barcelona

Ludogorets Vs Basel

Monchengladbach Vs Manchester City

Napoli Vs Dynamo Kiev

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[Alucard_SxE]

Borussia Dortmund 8-4 Legia Warsaw: Reus nets hat-trick in incredible thriller

Really sloppy play
if you are leaking 4 goals while scoring 8 that means nobody cares about tactics other than attack attack attack.
there will always be this kind of game in a while

 

[Alucard_SxE]

Amazing game! so much drama!

 

[Alucard_SxE]

Checkout Quarresma's Rabona assist for the last goal

 

[ltty head]

Checkout Quarresma's Rabona assist for the last goal

Super cross leg cross

 

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Isco wants new Real Madrid contract

Isco is loving life at Real Madrid again after a difficult spell and is ready to renew his contract at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The attacking midfielder recently suggested he might have to leave the Bernabeu in order to secure regular first-team football elsewhere, but he has developed into a key figure for Madrid again in recent weeks.

The 24-year-old is delighted with his new role and hopes to reach an agreement over a renewal sooner rather than later, with his existing contract due to expire in 2018.

"I still have one-and-a-half years left on my current contract," Isco, who has been repeatedly linked with a move to Tottenham, told reporters."But the club and I are both keen to renew. I hope we can sort something out.

"I am getting regular playing time now and I am happy to be able to help the team."
Isco has made nine LaLiga appearances this term - starting their last six games - and has two goals to his name.

 

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Mourinho: Manchester United to keep Ibrahimovic on for 2017-18

Jose Mourinho has confirmed that Manchester United will take up the option to extend Zlatan Ibrahimovic's deal by an extra year until 2018.

The Sweden great moved to Old Trafford on a free transfer in the close-season after four successful and trophy-laden seasons at Paris Saint-Germain, during which time he became the club's record goal scorer.

Ibrahimovic, 35, initially penned a one-year contract with the option to extend the deal by a further 12 months, a clause that manager Mourinho says United plan to exercise.

"The Zlatan situation is simple, he has one year plus another year at the club and we are happy with him," Mourinho told a news conference ahead of United's Europa League clash against Feyenoord.

"We are going to execute the extra year option. In two years' time he will be free. He is happy and he is committed."It's the last big challenge of his wonderful career."

Ibrahimovic has scored six goals in his opening 11 Premier League matches, but appeared to cast doubt on prolonging his stay at Old Trafford into a second season when he spoke of his desire to "conquer" America in the MLS.

The former AC Milan striker has long-since been linked to a move across the Atlantic and told Aftonbladet on Tuesday: "Playing in the USA is a huge option for me."For the football and everything else. I can see myself conquering the US as I have with Europe.

"Lots of people stay in one place throughout their career, but I have travelled around like Napoleon, and conquered every new country where I have set foot. So perhaps I should do what Napoleon did not and cross the Atlantic and conquer the States as well."

Ibrahimovic - who previously played under Mourinho at Inter in Serie A - also spoke of the possibility of staying in Manchester, though, and he is seemingly now staying in the Premier League for a second term.

United have made an indifferent start to the Mourinho era and are sixth in the league, nine points adrift of leaders Chelsea.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Carlos Bacca suffers thigh injury

AC Milan attacker Carlos Bacca faces a spell on the sidelines after suffering a thigh injury in his side's 2-2 Serie A draw with rivals Inter at the weekend.

The 30-year-old featured from the start in the Derby della Madonnina and set up Suso for the 2-1 lead shortly before the hour mark.

Bacca was forced to leave the pitch with a muscular problem in the 71st minute, though, and Milan have announced he has suffered a thigh injury.

"Milan announce that during Sunday night’s match against Inter, Carlos Bacca suffered a flexor strain to his right thigh," a statement on the club's official website reads. "The player will undergo further examination next week."

Bacca has scored six goals in 13 Serie A appearances this campaign, but has not found the net since his strike in the 4-3 win over Sassuolo on October 2, going six matches without a goal.