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..::Football II::..
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Hannover 1-1 Dortmund: Late Diouf goal forces champions to drop more points
Borussia Dortmund's challenge of completing a Bundesliga three-peat took another blow after the champions were pegged back by Hannover in a 1-1 draw at the AWD Arena on Sunday.
Robert Lewandowski opened the scoring with a tap in on 26 minutes, but intense Hannover pressure in the second half was rewarded with the equalizer from Mame Biram Diouf in the 86th minute. As a result, Dortmund could not build on its encouraging 1-1 mid-week draw at Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League. The club was held to another disappointing domestic result and trails Bayern Munich by nine points early in the season, while Hannover stretched its unbeaten home record to 22 matches and remains only one point behind Dortmund in the standings.
Dortmund could have been in front after only 20 seconds, as a glanced header from Marco Reus was parried by Ron Robert Zieler at the far post. Hannover would hit back soon enough, when Artur Sobiech took aim from outside the box, but Roman Weidenfeller was equal to his chipped effort and tipped over the bar.
There was a real ebb and flow developing to the game, and the home side nearly broke free again through Lars Stindl on the left byline, but Neven Subotic was alert to make a superb sliding challenge to halt a dangerous situation in its tracks. Despite Hannover’s threat going forward, Dortmund found itself a goal to the good after 26 minutes.
Mario Gotze worked the ball wide to Lukasz Piszczek on the right flank, and the fullback raced clear towards the byline before squaring to Lewandowski, who made no mistake from close range. Dortmund could have had a second immediately after the restart, but Jakub Blaszczykowski blasted wide after isolating Konstantin Rausch just inside the area.
Hannover should have been level in the 77th minute, as Rausch did extremely well to manufacture space on the left and square towards Diouf in front of goal, but he somehow could not convert the sitter from point-blank range.
Diouf redeemed himself with four minutes to go though, as a scramble from a free kick afforded him an inch of space to slot confidently under Weidenfeller.
Borussia Dortmund's challenge of completing a Bundesliga three-peat took another blow after the champions were pegged back by Hannover in a 1-1 draw at the AWD Arena on Sunday.
Robert Lewandowski opened the scoring with a tap in on 26 minutes, but intense Hannover pressure in the second half was rewarded with the equalizer from Mame Biram Diouf in the 86th minute. As a result, Dortmund could not build on its encouraging 1-1 mid-week draw at Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League. The club was held to another disappointing domestic result and trails Bayern Munich by nine points early in the season, while Hannover stretched its unbeaten home record to 22 matches and remains only one point behind Dortmund in the standings.
Dortmund could have been in front after only 20 seconds, as a glanced header from Marco Reus was parried by Ron Robert Zieler at the far post. Hannover would hit back soon enough, when Artur Sobiech took aim from outside the box, but Roman Weidenfeller was equal to his chipped effort and tipped over the bar.
There was a real ebb and flow developing to the game, and the home side nearly broke free again through Lars Stindl on the left byline, but Neven Subotic was alert to make a superb sliding challenge to halt a dangerous situation in its tracks. Despite Hannover’s threat going forward, Dortmund found itself a goal to the good after 26 minutes.
Mario Gotze worked the ball wide to Lukasz Piszczek on the right flank, and the fullback raced clear towards the byline before squaring to Lewandowski, who made no mistake from close range. Dortmund could have had a second immediately after the restart, but Jakub Blaszczykowski blasted wide after isolating Konstantin Rausch just inside the area.
Hannover should have been level in the 77th minute, as Rausch did extremely well to manufacture space on the left and square towards Diouf in front of goal, but he somehow could not convert the sitter from point-blank range.
Diouf redeemed himself with four minutes to go though, as a scramble from a free kick afforded him an inch of space to slot confidently under Weidenfeller.
Liverpool 0-0 Stoke: Reds suffer more Anfield agony
LIVERPOOL -- Liverpool failed to secure its first home Premier League win of the season as Stoke battled to a 0-0 draw at Anfield on Sunday afternoon.
The home side toiled in front of the goal, with Raheem Sterling, Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel all shaking the woodwork, but could not find the breakthrough against obstinate opposition.
Reds boss Brendan Rodgers elected to keep faith in the same team which recorded an emphatic 5-2 victory over Norwich last weekend, with youngsters Andre Wisdom, Suso and Sterling all handed another chance to impress.
Stoke, meanwhile, was missing Andy Wilkinson, who sat out the final match of the three-match ban for elbowing Mario Balotelli. Liverpool old boys Charlie Adam and Peter Crouch made the starting XI on their return to Anfield, but Tony Pulis was forced to omit Michael Owen through injury.
A bright start from both sides was marred on three minutes when Robert Huth appeared to stamp on Suarez while the Uruguayan lay on the floor after a collision. Fortunately for the German, referee Lee Mason and his assistants did not see the incident.
Suarez was soon back on his feet and causing problems though, and when his clever run and cut-back found Nuri Sahin, only a block from the unwitting Sterling prevented the Turk’s goal-bound shot from finding the bottom corner.
Liverpool’s staunch devotion to playing out of defense under Rodgers has already resulted in some embarrassing moments this season, and on 20 minutes Stoke almost forced another. Pepe Reina’s wayward pass gifted the high-pressing Potters possession some 25 yards out, and the Spaniard had to be at his most agile to tip over Michael Kightly’s ambitious lob attempt.
The Reds recovered from that shock and committed wave after wave of attack before narrowly failing to go ahead as Agger struck the post after getting the slightest of touches on a cross from the right.
It was the nearest the home side came in a frustrating half for the Anfield crowd, which they ended by voicing their displeasure with a referee who had shown plenty of leniency to the physical visitors.
With the manager’s words clearly ringing in their ears, Liverpool's players began the second period much brighter and almost broke the deadlock as Glen Johnson’s cross was desperately nodded away after some nice build-up work.
Johnson was at the heart of the attack again as he latched onto a raking cross-field pass from Gerrard only to shoot narrowly over the bar in the box just moments later.
Despite the domination, the home side was fortunate not to go behind when a three-way clash between Jon Walters, Wisdom and Skrtel meant a clever interception from Agger was needed to stop a cross into the box with a goal looking certain.
Liverpool subsequently stepped up its onslaught on the Stoke box, if not Asmir Begovic’s goal, and went even closer as Sterling struck the base of the post with a side-footed drive from inside the area.
However, the club could not get past a determined Potters back line, even as Skrtel hooked onto the post in the dying seconds.
LIVERPOOL -- Liverpool failed to secure its first home Premier League win of the season as Stoke battled to a 0-0 draw at Anfield on Sunday afternoon.
The home side toiled in front of the goal, with Raheem Sterling, Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel all shaking the woodwork, but could not find the breakthrough against obstinate opposition.
Reds boss Brendan Rodgers elected to keep faith in the same team which recorded an emphatic 5-2 victory over Norwich last weekend, with youngsters Andre Wisdom, Suso and Sterling all handed another chance to impress.
Stoke, meanwhile, was missing Andy Wilkinson, who sat out the final match of the three-match ban for elbowing Mario Balotelli. Liverpool old boys Charlie Adam and Peter Crouch made the starting XI on their return to Anfield, but Tony Pulis was forced to omit Michael Owen through injury.
A bright start from both sides was marred on three minutes when Robert Huth appeared to stamp on Suarez while the Uruguayan lay on the floor after a collision. Fortunately for the German, referee Lee Mason and his assistants did not see the incident.
Suarez was soon back on his feet and causing problems though, and when his clever run and cut-back found Nuri Sahin, only a block from the unwitting Sterling prevented the Turk’s goal-bound shot from finding the bottom corner.
Liverpool’s staunch devotion to playing out of defense under Rodgers has already resulted in some embarrassing moments this season, and on 20 minutes Stoke almost forced another. Pepe Reina’s wayward pass gifted the high-pressing Potters possession some 25 yards out, and the Spaniard had to be at his most agile to tip over Michael Kightly’s ambitious lob attempt.
The Reds recovered from that shock and committed wave after wave of attack before narrowly failing to go ahead as Agger struck the post after getting the slightest of touches on a cross from the right.
It was the nearest the home side came in a frustrating half for the Anfield crowd, which they ended by voicing their displeasure with a referee who had shown plenty of leniency to the physical visitors.
With the manager’s words clearly ringing in their ears, Liverpool's players began the second period much brighter and almost broke the deadlock as Glen Johnson’s cross was desperately nodded away after some nice build-up work.
Johnson was at the heart of the attack again as he latched onto a raking cross-field pass from Gerrard only to shoot narrowly over the bar in the box just moments later.
Despite the domination, the home side was fortunate not to go behind when a three-way clash between Jon Walters, Wisdom and Skrtel meant a clever interception from Agger was needed to stop a cross into the box with a goal looking certain.
Liverpool subsequently stepped up its onslaught on the Stoke box, if not Asmir Begovic’s goal, and went even closer as Sterling struck the base of the post with a side-footed drive from inside the area.
However, the club could not get past a determined Potters back line, even as Skrtel hooked onto the post in the dying seconds.
Tottenham 2-0 Aston Villa: Caulker and Lennon on target to give Villas-Boas fourth straight league win
LONDON -- This AVB character may not be so bad after all. Tottenham cruised past Aston Villa 2-0 on Sunday to record its fourth Premier League victory in a row and continue its climb up the table.
Second-half goals from Steven Caulker and Aaron Lennon sealed the points for Spurs, who remain unbeaten since their opening fixture of the season, are now level on points with third-placed Everton and increasingly playing in the style desired by Villas-Boas.
Solid in defense, tactically disciplined and, at times, breathtakingly quick in attack, Spurs were brimming with confidence in the second half against a feeble Aston Villa side which has made its worst start to a season since 1986-87 and never looked like taking anything back to the Midlands.
Tottenham started brightly, with Gareth Bale fizzing an effort just wide in the first minute before Jermain Defoe struck over the bar from 12 yards after meeting Jan Vertonghen’s cross.
Bale then angered the Villa bench when he went down under a challenge with goalkeeper Brad Guzan 30 yards from goal when there appeared to be no contact on the Welsh winger.
Jermain Defoe tested Guzan with a snapshot from 20 yards while at the other end, Lloris had to stay alert to bravely save at Gabriel Agbonlahor’s feet when the Villa forward was put through by an incisive pass from Brett Holman.
The Frenchman was less assured seven minutes after the re-start when his awful throw was intercepted, allowing Marc Albrighton to cross for Christian Benteke to head wide when he should have scored.
Villa was deservedly punished for that miss six minutes later. Defoe superbly brought down Bale’s corner and shot towards goal, his effort heading off target before clipping Caulker’s ankle and nestling in the net.
Tottenham needed very little fortune for the goal that doubled the advantage in the 67th minute. A neat passing move ended with the ball finding Lennon, who shifted past Joe Bennett and fired across goal into the bottom corner to score his first goal since January.
Clint Dempsey headed wide from six yards when he really should have scored a third and Bale saw a shot tipped on to the post by Guzan, but by then Spurs were coasting home and conserving their energy.
LONDON -- This AVB character may not be so bad after all. Tottenham cruised past Aston Villa 2-0 on Sunday to record its fourth Premier League victory in a row and continue its climb up the table.
Second-half goals from Steven Caulker and Aaron Lennon sealed the points for Spurs, who remain unbeaten since their opening fixture of the season, are now level on points with third-placed Everton and increasingly playing in the style desired by Villas-Boas.
Solid in defense, tactically disciplined and, at times, breathtakingly quick in attack, Spurs were brimming with confidence in the second half against a feeble Aston Villa side which has made its worst start to a season since 1986-87 and never looked like taking anything back to the Midlands.
Tottenham started brightly, with Gareth Bale fizzing an effort just wide in the first minute before Jermain Defoe struck over the bar from 12 yards after meeting Jan Vertonghen’s cross.
Bale then angered the Villa bench when he went down under a challenge with goalkeeper Brad Guzan 30 yards from goal when there appeared to be no contact on the Welsh winger.
Jermain Defoe tested Guzan with a snapshot from 20 yards while at the other end, Lloris had to stay alert to bravely save at Gabriel Agbonlahor’s feet when the Villa forward was put through by an incisive pass from Brett Holman.
The Frenchman was less assured seven minutes after the re-start when his awful throw was intercepted, allowing Marc Albrighton to cross for Christian Benteke to head wide when he should have scored.
Villa was deservedly punished for that miss six minutes later. Defoe superbly brought down Bale’s corner and shot towards goal, his effort heading off target before clipping Caulker’s ankle and nestling in the net.
Tottenham needed very little fortune for the goal that doubled the advantage in the 67th minute. A neat passing move ended with the ball finding Lennon, who shifted past Joe Bennett and fired across goal into the bottom corner to score his first goal since January.
Clint Dempsey headed wide from six yards when he really should have scored a third and Bale saw a shot tipped on to the post by Guzan, but by then Spurs were coasting home and conserving their energy.
Siena 1-2 Juventus: Marchisio fires late winner as champions march on
Juventus finally made its second-half dominance pay off by striking late through Claudio Marchisio to record a 2-1 win over a stubborn Siena side at the Artemio Franchi Sunday.
The Bianconeri took the lead 14 minutes in courtesy of a free kick from Andrea Pirlo, who struck the bar with another sublime set piece later in the half. However, the two sides went in level at the interval, with Emanuel Calaio heading home just before the halftime whistle.
Juventus bossed the second period, but it seemed that its efforts would prove in vain; however, with about five minutes remaining, Marchisio came to their rescue to steal a win that keeps the defending Serie A champion on top of the table.
Juve had gone into the game on the back of a fortuitous draw at home to UEFA Champions League foe Shakhtar Donetsk, and the defensive frailty that was on show in Turin on Tuesday night was in evidence again at the Artemio Franchi.
Siena should have been ahead inside two minutes, but Alessandro Rosina, who was a constant thorn in Juve’s side during the first half, miscued his first-time strike, and the ball ended up bouncing harmlessly into the arms of Gianluigi Buffon.
While the visitors looked vulnerable at the back, Sebastian Giovinco and Mirko Vucinic were causing problems every time they picked up possession at the other end of the field, and it was no surprise that the pair played a key role in the Bianconeri’s opener.
Vucinic left two Siena defenders trailing in his wake with a wonderful turn in midfield before slipping the ball wide to Giovinco, who ended up on the deck after bamboozling Felipe with his quick feet. Pirlo took the subsequent free kick and found the bottom corner by firing the ball underneath the feet of the players in the defensive wall, who had collectively jumped in an attempt to make the playmaker’s task more difficult.
The goal unsurprisingly settled Juve and they could count themselves unfortunate not to have doubled their lead before the break, with Pirlo crashing another set-piece against the cross bar on 40 minutes before Claudio Marchisio drew a flying save out of Gianluca Pegolo moments later.
Siena continued to threaten, and veteran striker Calaio, right on half-time, powered home a header at the far post after Angelo had beaten Paolo De Ceglie to the byline before whipping over the most inviting of crosses.
Juve struck late, though, and deservedly so, and Giovinco was key, as the former Parma man blew past a couple of players before crossing into the area. The ball was nodded back across the box by Giorgio Chiellini, and Marchisio arrived right on cue to drive the ball through a crowd of players and past Pegolo, securing Juve's sixth win from seven outings this season.
Juventus finally made its second-half dominance pay off by striking late through Claudio Marchisio to record a 2-1 win over a stubborn Siena side at the Artemio Franchi Sunday.
The Bianconeri took the lead 14 minutes in courtesy of a free kick from Andrea Pirlo, who struck the bar with another sublime set piece later in the half. However, the two sides went in level at the interval, with Emanuel Calaio heading home just before the halftime whistle.
Juventus bossed the second period, but it seemed that its efforts would prove in vain; however, with about five minutes remaining, Marchisio came to their rescue to steal a win that keeps the defending Serie A champion on top of the table.
Juve had gone into the game on the back of a fortuitous draw at home to UEFA Champions League foe Shakhtar Donetsk, and the defensive frailty that was on show in Turin on Tuesday night was in evidence again at the Artemio Franchi.
Siena should have been ahead inside two minutes, but Alessandro Rosina, who was a constant thorn in Juve’s side during the first half, miscued his first-time strike, and the ball ended up bouncing harmlessly into the arms of Gianluigi Buffon.
While the visitors looked vulnerable at the back, Sebastian Giovinco and Mirko Vucinic were causing problems every time they picked up possession at the other end of the field, and it was no surprise that the pair played a key role in the Bianconeri’s opener.
Vucinic left two Siena defenders trailing in his wake with a wonderful turn in midfield before slipping the ball wide to Giovinco, who ended up on the deck after bamboozling Felipe with his quick feet. Pirlo took the subsequent free kick and found the bottom corner by firing the ball underneath the feet of the players in the defensive wall, who had collectively jumped in an attempt to make the playmaker’s task more difficult.
The goal unsurprisingly settled Juve and they could count themselves unfortunate not to have doubled their lead before the break, with Pirlo crashing another set-piece against the cross bar on 40 minutes before Claudio Marchisio drew a flying save out of Gianluca Pegolo moments later.
Siena continued to threaten, and veteran striker Calaio, right on half-time, powered home a header at the far post after Angelo had beaten Paolo De Ceglie to the byline before whipping over the most inviting of crosses.
Juve struck late, though, and deservedly so, and Giovinco was key, as the former Parma man blew past a couple of players before crossing into the area. The ball was nodded back across the box by Giorgio Chiellini, and Marchisio arrived right on cue to drive the ball through a crowd of players and past Pegolo, securing Juve's sixth win from seven outings this season.
Southampton 2-2 Fulham: Late Fonte leveler moves home side out of bottom three
Southampton managed to clinch a point with a last-minute equalizer after throwing an early lead away against Fulham.
Enjoying a period of sustained possession early on, Southampton took an early lead through a Jose Fonte header at the near post from an accurate Adam Lallana corner.
However, having already thrown away nine points in the top flight from winning positions so far this term, the club resorted to type in the second half when Jos Hooiveld turned a stinging strike from John Arne Riise into his own net to bring the scores level.
With the second half becoming much more open than the first, Fulham took the lead for the first time through Kieran Richardson late on in the game after converting Sascha Reither's excellent low cross. Fonte responded by nodding in his second of the game in the final minute of normal time.
Southampton boss Nigel Adkins made three changes to the side which lost its last league outing against Everton, with Gaston Ramirez and Nathaniel Clyne both missing out with dead legs and James Ward-Prowse dropping to the bench, with Daniel Fox, Jason Puncheon and Morgan Shneiderlin all starting instead.
Fulham manager Martin Jol made just one change to his team, with Alexander Kacaniklic coming in for Mladen Petric who is ruled out with a calf complaint, while the match came a little too soon for Dimitar Berbatov.
The home side's pressure told just four minutes in when Fonte managed to guide in a deft header into the far post after a corner from Adam Lallana.
With Fulham dominating possession but creating little with it, Puncheon had an effort cleared off the line moments later and then a goal chalked off for fouling Mark Schwarzer in quick succession after a series of dangerous set-pieces.
Trying to put a lackluster opening half behind it, Fulham went close to troubling the scorers on the hour mark. Maya Yoshida deflected the ball onto his own post under pressure from Steven Sidwell and then Paulo Gazzaniga pulled off an excellent stop to deny Hugo Rodallega from point-blank range.
Fulham didn't have to wait too much longer to find an equalizer. In the 69th minute, after spreading the ball around the pitch, Riise drove a vicious effort towards goal only to see substitute Hooiveld deflect it right into the top left corner on the stretch.
The visiting side was sensing blood by this point and went ahead in the 87th minute through Richardson, on as a substitute, after seeing his effort deflected home past Gazzaniga after a some great work by Reither down the right touchline.
However, the drama wasn't finished there. Fonte nodded in his second of the afternoon at the back post in the 90th minute after getting the better of Brede Hangeland in the air from yet another superb Lallana free kick.
Despite the home side piling the pressure on with a swathe of hopeful punts into the box, Fulham managed to hold on and both sides shared the spoils at the final whistle during what was an even and exciting end-to-end contest.
Southampton managed to clinch a point with a last-minute equalizer after throwing an early lead away against Fulham.
Enjoying a period of sustained possession early on, Southampton took an early lead through a Jose Fonte header at the near post from an accurate Adam Lallana corner.
However, having already thrown away nine points in the top flight from winning positions so far this term, the club resorted to type in the second half when Jos Hooiveld turned a stinging strike from John Arne Riise into his own net to bring the scores level.
With the second half becoming much more open than the first, Fulham took the lead for the first time through Kieran Richardson late on in the game after converting Sascha Reither's excellent low cross. Fonte responded by nodding in his second of the game in the final minute of normal time.
Southampton boss Nigel Adkins made three changes to the side which lost its last league outing against Everton, with Gaston Ramirez and Nathaniel Clyne both missing out with dead legs and James Ward-Prowse dropping to the bench, with Daniel Fox, Jason Puncheon and Morgan Shneiderlin all starting instead.
Fulham manager Martin Jol made just one change to his team, with Alexander Kacaniklic coming in for Mladen Petric who is ruled out with a calf complaint, while the match came a little too soon for Dimitar Berbatov.
The home side's pressure told just four minutes in when Fonte managed to guide in a deft header into the far post after a corner from Adam Lallana.
With Fulham dominating possession but creating little with it, Puncheon had an effort cleared off the line moments later and then a goal chalked off for fouling Mark Schwarzer in quick succession after a series of dangerous set-pieces.
Trying to put a lackluster opening half behind it, Fulham went close to troubling the scorers on the hour mark. Maya Yoshida deflected the ball onto his own post under pressure from Steven Sidwell and then Paulo Gazzaniga pulled off an excellent stop to deny Hugo Rodallega from point-blank range.
Fulham didn't have to wait too much longer to find an equalizer. In the 69th minute, after spreading the ball around the pitch, Riise drove a vicious effort towards goal only to see substitute Hooiveld deflect it right into the top left corner on the stretch.
The visiting side was sensing blood by this point and went ahead in the 87th minute through Richardson, on as a substitute, after seeing his effort deflected home past Gazzaniga after a some great work by Reither down the right touchline.
However, the drama wasn't finished there. Fonte nodded in his second of the afternoon at the back post in the 90th minute after getting the better of Brede Hangeland in the air from yet another superb Lallana free kick.
Despite the home side piling the pressure on with a swathe of hopeful punts into the box, Fulham managed to hold on and both sides shared the spoils at the final whistle during what was an even and exciting end-to-end contest.
Congratulations Manchester United!!!
Newcastle 0-3 Manchester United: Evans, Evra and Cleverley fire United up to second
Manchester United recorded a 3-0 victory over Newcastle on Sunday, courtesy of two goals from corners in the first half and a Tom Cleverley peach after the break.
Alan Pardew recalled Jonas Gutierrez, Hatem Ben Arfa and Demba Ba for the clash. Shane Ferguson was awarded a starting place with defenders Fabriccio Coloccini and Steven Taylor sidelined.
Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie and Danny Welbeck all started for the visiting side in a very attacking lineup, with Shinji Kagawa also in XI.
The Red Devils made a bright start to the game, Welbeck failing to add the final touch to a brilliant flowing move in the first five minutes after Jonny Evans' back heel.
Ferguson's men went one better moments later, though, when Newcastle conceded a corner after Van Persie's toe poke. The Dutch forward took the set piece himself, which Evans thumped into the back of the net with a powerful header.
The home team looked to hit back instantly as Ben Arfa tricked his way past a string of opponents, but failed to find a teammate with his cross. Then the away side came forward again as Rafael riffled a shot just wide.
With still under 15 minutes played, Welbeck should have doubled the lead after an awful error by Stephen Harper. The Magpies' stopper tried to dribble past the forward but was dispossessed, only to have his blushes spared by the England international who missed the open goal.
Minutes later, however, Ferguson's men did make it two. Rooney's free kick was tipped behind by Harper, however the keeper could do nothing to deny Patrice Evra heading the striker's resulting corner home.
Jonas Gutierrez offered some resistance for Pardew's side, firing narrowly wide from outside the box, with Ba also blazing over as the game approached the half-hour mark, but the moments of danger came squeezed in between longer periods of Manchester United dominance.
The home side worked its way back into the fixture as halftime drew near. Yohan Cabaye and Ba both had half chances, the former going close from range and the latter flicking a volley over the bar. United was also lucky to avoid conceding a penalty when Evra's shirt tug on Papiss Cisse went unpunished just before the break.
Newcastle thought it had pulled a goal back early in the second period, when Cisse's header was clawed away by David de Gea, though Magpies players and fans alike were convinced it crossed the line - all that after the keeper tipped Ba's header onto the crossbar.
The half was generally quieter than the first after that. Rooney saw a strike parried away by Harper, before Ben Arfa's touch and shot went wide. Then, Van Persie had the ball in the net, but was flagged for offside.
As the home side's search for a lifeline continued, Cleverley secured the win for his team with a stunning curling effort that flew into the top corner 20 minutes from time. However, only the midfielder will know if he meant it, or if he was looking for Van Persie's back-post run. Nevertheless the goal wrapped up the three points and sees Ferguson's men climb to second place in the table.
Newcastle 0-3 Manchester United: Evans, Evra and Cleverley fire United up to second
Manchester United recorded a 3-0 victory over Newcastle on Sunday, courtesy of two goals from corners in the first half and a Tom Cleverley peach after the break.
Alan Pardew recalled Jonas Gutierrez, Hatem Ben Arfa and Demba Ba for the clash. Shane Ferguson was awarded a starting place with defenders Fabriccio Coloccini and Steven Taylor sidelined.
Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie and Danny Welbeck all started for the visiting side in a very attacking lineup, with Shinji Kagawa also in XI.
The Red Devils made a bright start to the game, Welbeck failing to add the final touch to a brilliant flowing move in the first five minutes after Jonny Evans' back heel.
Ferguson's men went one better moments later, though, when Newcastle conceded a corner after Van Persie's toe poke. The Dutch forward took the set piece himself, which Evans thumped into the back of the net with a powerful header.
The home team looked to hit back instantly as Ben Arfa tricked his way past a string of opponents, but failed to find a teammate with his cross. Then the away side came forward again as Rafael riffled a shot just wide.
With still under 15 minutes played, Welbeck should have doubled the lead after an awful error by Stephen Harper. The Magpies' stopper tried to dribble past the forward but was dispossessed, only to have his blushes spared by the England international who missed the open goal.
Minutes later, however, Ferguson's men did make it two. Rooney's free kick was tipped behind by Harper, however the keeper could do nothing to deny Patrice Evra heading the striker's resulting corner home.
Jonas Gutierrez offered some resistance for Pardew's side, firing narrowly wide from outside the box, with Ba also blazing over as the game approached the half-hour mark, but the moments of danger came squeezed in between longer periods of Manchester United dominance.
The home side worked its way back into the fixture as halftime drew near. Yohan Cabaye and Ba both had half chances, the former going close from range and the latter flicking a volley over the bar. United was also lucky to avoid conceding a penalty when Evra's shirt tug on Papiss Cisse went unpunished just before the break.
Newcastle thought it had pulled a goal back early in the second period, when Cisse's header was clawed away by David de Gea, though Magpies players and fans alike were convinced it crossed the line - all that after the keeper tipped Ba's header onto the crossbar.
The half was generally quieter than the first after that. Rooney saw a strike parried away by Harper, before Ben Arfa's touch and shot went wide. Then, Van Persie had the ball in the net, but was flagged for offside.
As the home side's search for a lifeline continued, Cleverley secured the win for his team with a stunning curling effort that flew into the top corner 20 minutes from time. However, only the midfielder will know if he meant it, or if he was looking for Van Persie's back-post run. Nevertheless the goal wrapped up the three points and sees Ferguson's men climb to second place in the table.
Congratulations Manchester United!
Congratulations Manchester United!
Adanam elatama play karala
Villas-Boas insists no final decision has been made on Tottenham's first-choice goalkeeper
Andre Villas-Boas insists no final decision has been made on who will be Tottenham’s first-choice goalkeeper after Hugo Lloris was selected over Brad Friedel in the 2-0 win against Aston Villa on Sunday.
Lloris, the high-profile summer signing from Lyon, was handed his first league start, ending the 41-year-old Friedel’s run of 310 consecutive Premier League appearances. The France No.1 kept a clean sheet, but Villas-Boas was careful to praise Friedel’s “immense” displays and refused to be drawn on who will start their next fixture against Chelsea on Oct. 20.
“The change was not based on performance, because Brad has been immense. In the future we will have to decide on who to play,” Villas-Boas said. “We decided after speaking about it with the technical staff that it would be logical to get Hugo acquainted with Premier League games - he can’t only play in the Europa League. He will now play with the national team and get a continuum of four games in a row.
“We spoke with Brad, because he deserves that respect. He was obviously disappointed with the decision but he respected it, being the good professional that he is.”
Andre Villas-Boas insists no final decision has been made on who will be Tottenham’s first-choice goalkeeper after Hugo Lloris was selected over Brad Friedel in the 2-0 win against Aston Villa on Sunday.
Lloris, the high-profile summer signing from Lyon, was handed his first league start, ending the 41-year-old Friedel’s run of 310 consecutive Premier League appearances. The France No.1 kept a clean sheet, but Villas-Boas was careful to praise Friedel’s “immense” displays and refused to be drawn on who will start their next fixture against Chelsea on Oct. 20.
“The change was not based on performance, because Brad has been immense. In the future we will have to decide on who to play,” Villas-Boas said. “We decided after speaking about it with the technical staff that it would be logical to get Hugo acquainted with Premier League games - he can’t only play in the Europa League. He will now play with the national team and get a continuum of four games in a row.
“We spoke with Brad, because he deserves that respect. He was obviously disappointed with the decision but he respected it, being the good professional that he is.”
Oscar, Dani Alves pitch Santos sensation Neymar on Chelsea, Barcelona
Santos forward Neymar has said he would be open to a move to Premier League side Chelsea, stating it is one of the five clubs in the world any player must give serious consideration.
The 20-year-old Brazil striker has been targeted by European heavyweights Barcelona, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain in recent months but remains, for now, in his home country. He is, however, open to the idea of making a move to London after his international teammate Oscar made the switch to Stamford Bridge during the summer transfer window.
"It is very simple: If Barcelona are interested you listen, if Real Madrid are interested you listen, if Chelsea are interested you listen," Neymar told The Sun. "There are maybe five clubs in the world that you know you must at least listen to. When the time is right I will listen to to the right offers that my agent has for me."
Former Internacional playmaker Oscar has made an impressive start to his Chelsea career, scoring twice on his UEFA Champions League debut against Juventus. Neymar admitted that both Oscar and Barcelona full back Dani Alves had made sales pitches to him as he contemplates a move to Europe.
"Oscar messages me to tell me what a great club Chelsea is and what a great city London is," Neymar said. "He and Dani are both very good salesmen for their clubs."
The young forward has 48 goals in 95 league appearances for Santos, and has already hit an impressive 13 goals for the Brazilian national side in just 23 games.
Santos forward Neymar has said he would be open to a move to Premier League side Chelsea, stating it is one of the five clubs in the world any player must give serious consideration.
The 20-year-old Brazil striker has been targeted by European heavyweights Barcelona, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain in recent months but remains, for now, in his home country. He is, however, open to the idea of making a move to London after his international teammate Oscar made the switch to Stamford Bridge during the summer transfer window.
"It is very simple: If Barcelona are interested you listen, if Real Madrid are interested you listen, if Chelsea are interested you listen," Neymar told The Sun. "There are maybe five clubs in the world that you know you must at least listen to. When the time is right I will listen to to the right offers that my agent has for me."
Former Internacional playmaker Oscar has made an impressive start to his Chelsea career, scoring twice on his UEFA Champions League debut against Juventus. Neymar admitted that both Oscar and Barcelona full back Dani Alves had made sales pitches to him as he contemplates a move to Europe.
"Oscar messages me to tell me what a great club Chelsea is and what a great city London is," Neymar said. "He and Dani are both very good salesmen for their clubs."
The young forward has 48 goals in 95 league appearances for Santos, and has already hit an impressive 13 goals for the Brazilian national side in just 23 games.
Full Time
Barcelona 2 Vs 2 Real Madrid
Barcelona Goal(s)
Lionel Messi 31',61'
&
Real Madrid Goal(s)
Cristiano Ronaldo 23',66'
Barcelona Goal(s)
Lionel Messi 31',61'
&
Real Madrid Goal(s)
Cristiano Ronaldo 23',66'
Barcelona 2-2 Real Madrid: Messi and Ronaldo exchange strikes in enthralling Clasico
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were both in scintillating form as Barcelona and Real Madrid played out an enthralling 2-2 draw at Camp Nou in the first Liga Clasico of this season.
Despite coming as just the seventh fixture of the season, the match was touted as having a potentially huge impact on the final Liga outcome. With Madrid in need of a win, Ronaldo got the club off to the perfect start as he silenced the crowd with his sixth consecutive Clasico goal.
But a brace from Messi, including a sumptuous second-half free kick, put the Blaugrana in the driving seat. However, the last had not been heard of Ronaldo and he capitalized on a disorganized defense to equalize 25 minutes from time.
After all the intense build-up, the first surprise of the night was sprung as news filtered through that in the absence of Gerard Pique and Carles Puyol, Adriano would start alongside Javier Mascherano in the center of defense. Mourinho, meanwhile, opted for Karim Benzema and Mesut Ozil.
The teams were greeted on the pitch by a cacophony of noise and a sea of Catalan red and yellow in the stands and the match began in a similarly hectic manner, but Los Blancos' more adventurous tendencies when in possession saw them gradually take hold of the game.
After Benzema snatched at a volley in the 13th minute, Barca's defensive frailties began to really show six minutes later as Sergio Ramos rose, unmarked, to meet Ozil's corner. His header had pace and Victor Valdes, who was rooted to the spot, breathed a sigh of relief when it shaded the outside of his post.
Despite enjoying a large share of possession, the home side began to sit deep and invite Mourinho's men to attack. They were punished in the 23rd minute. A brilliant flowing move, initiated by Ozil on the right, ended with Benzema slipping the ball to Ronaldo who thumped a low shot past Valdes at his near post.
Madrid continued to slice apart the home team's makeshift defense with ease and should have doubled the lead in the 25th minute. Benzema once more found space in the area but his shot cannoned back off the post and Angel Di Maria was unable to convert the rebound.
Yet the Blaugrana were unperturbed at the other end of the pitch and they secured an equalizer when Pedro's cross looped into the air following a pair of deflections. In his eagerness to head the ball away, Pepe misjudged the flight of the ball and Messi, who was lurking in the box, beat Iker Casillas as it dropped behind the defender and fired into the back of the net.
The Catalan club drew confidence from that goal and after being denied a penalty early in the second half, took the lead for the first time on the night with a moment of sheer, unadulterated class from Messi. The mercurial Argentine flighted a beautifully-struck 30-yard free kick over the wall and into the top corner with 61 minutes on the clock.
Not to be outdone, Ronaldo notched his second of the night just five minutes later. After being jeered by the home crowd for missing an overhead kick, the 27-year-old caught the Barca defense completely unaware to slot home from Ozil's through ball.
With the game so finely poised, neither team was willing to take the risk of committing too many men forward in search of a winner. There was still time for some final moments of drama as Martin Montoya pushed on but saw his rocket of a strike come back off the crossbar in the 89th minute and Pedro drilled a low shot wide in stoppage time.
In sharing the spoils, Barcelona remains at the top of the table and also maintains an eight-point advantage over Madrid with seven games played so far this season.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were both in scintillating form as Barcelona and Real Madrid played out an enthralling 2-2 draw at Camp Nou in the first Liga Clasico of this season.
Despite coming as just the seventh fixture of the season, the match was touted as having a potentially huge impact on the final Liga outcome. With Madrid in need of a win, Ronaldo got the club off to the perfect start as he silenced the crowd with his sixth consecutive Clasico goal.
But a brace from Messi, including a sumptuous second-half free kick, put the Blaugrana in the driving seat. However, the last had not been heard of Ronaldo and he capitalized on a disorganized defense to equalize 25 minutes from time.
After all the intense build-up, the first surprise of the night was sprung as news filtered through that in the absence of Gerard Pique and Carles Puyol, Adriano would start alongside Javier Mascherano in the center of defense. Mourinho, meanwhile, opted for Karim Benzema and Mesut Ozil.
The teams were greeted on the pitch by a cacophony of noise and a sea of Catalan red and yellow in the stands and the match began in a similarly hectic manner, but Los Blancos' more adventurous tendencies when in possession saw them gradually take hold of the game.
After Benzema snatched at a volley in the 13th minute, Barca's defensive frailties began to really show six minutes later as Sergio Ramos rose, unmarked, to meet Ozil's corner. His header had pace and Victor Valdes, who was rooted to the spot, breathed a sigh of relief when it shaded the outside of his post.
Despite enjoying a large share of possession, the home side began to sit deep and invite Mourinho's men to attack. They were punished in the 23rd minute. A brilliant flowing move, initiated by Ozil on the right, ended with Benzema slipping the ball to Ronaldo who thumped a low shot past Valdes at his near post.
Madrid continued to slice apart the home team's makeshift defense with ease and should have doubled the lead in the 25th minute. Benzema once more found space in the area but his shot cannoned back off the post and Angel Di Maria was unable to convert the rebound.
Yet the Blaugrana were unperturbed at the other end of the pitch and they secured an equalizer when Pedro's cross looped into the air following a pair of deflections. In his eagerness to head the ball away, Pepe misjudged the flight of the ball and Messi, who was lurking in the box, beat Iker Casillas as it dropped behind the defender and fired into the back of the net.
The Catalan club drew confidence from that goal and after being denied a penalty early in the second half, took the lead for the first time on the night with a moment of sheer, unadulterated class from Messi. The mercurial Argentine flighted a beautifully-struck 30-yard free kick over the wall and into the top corner with 61 minutes on the clock.
Not to be outdone, Ronaldo notched his second of the night just five minutes later. After being jeered by the home crowd for missing an overhead kick, the 27-year-old caught the Barca defense completely unaware to slot home from Ozil's through ball.
With the game so finely poised, neither team was willing to take the risk of committing too many men forward in search of a winner. There was still time for some final moments of drama as Martin Montoya pushed on but saw his rocket of a strike come back off the crossbar in the 89th minute and Pedro drilled a low shot wide in stoppage time.
In sharing the spoils, Barcelona remains at the top of the table and also maintains an eight-point advantage over Madrid with seven games played so far this season.
Olympique de Marseille 2-2 Paris Saint-Germain: Gignac and Ibrahimovic on target as OM maintains Ligue 1 lead
Ligue 1’s top-of-the-table clash between fierce rivals Olympique de Marseille and Paris Saint-Germain finished 2-2 at Stade Velodrome.
All the goals arrived in a terrific first half. Andre-Pierre Gignac was the first to strike for the home side, but two stunning Ibrahimovic goals in the space of a couple of minutes dramatically swung the game. Gignac leveled before the break, and though PSG had the better of the second period there would be no more scoring.
Marseille started the game with terrific energy, feeding off the partisan home support. As early as the third minute Gignac created a yard of space for himself, but his shot was slashed wide.
A quarter of an hour later the striker would have better luck, escaping the clutches of Alex just enough to angle a terrific finish beyond Salvatore Sirigu.
That goal sparked an incredible 10-minute period in which Carlo Ancelotti’s men turned the game around in magnificent style. Ibrahimovic once again showed his class, steering a volleyed back heel into the net from a corner kick, leaving Steve Mandanda pawing at air.
Moments later the Marseille goalkeeper was plucking the ball from his net again. On this occasion the Swede had taken aim with a free kick from 30 yards, and his fizzing strike beat the wall and cannoned into the net.
Marseille has been made of steely stuff this season, though. OM bounced back before the break via Gignac’s second goal, which was a simple affair as he headed home a corner delivered by Mathieu Valbuena, who fed the striker a steady stream of fine passes.
Before the break PSG really should have retaken the lead, but Javier Pastore shot wide after fine work from Christiophe Jallet.
The second half proved to be a far tighter affair. Now it was the visiting side which dominated matters, yet opportunities were sparse. Those chances that did arrive came to the capital club. Jeremy Menez fed substitute Kevin Gameiro to shoot wide early in the period, while Ibrahimovic could not keep his effort down on the stretch after more good work from the former Roma man.
Ultimately the sides had to settle for a draw, which preserves the status quo at the summit of Le Championnat. OM remains top on 19 points, with PSG having missed the opportunity to leapfrog the Provence club three marks further back after eight rounds of action.
Ligue 1’s top-of-the-table clash between fierce rivals Olympique de Marseille and Paris Saint-Germain finished 2-2 at Stade Velodrome.
All the goals arrived in a terrific first half. Andre-Pierre Gignac was the first to strike for the home side, but two stunning Ibrahimovic goals in the space of a couple of minutes dramatically swung the game. Gignac leveled before the break, and though PSG had the better of the second period there would be no more scoring.
Marseille started the game with terrific energy, feeding off the partisan home support. As early as the third minute Gignac created a yard of space for himself, but his shot was slashed wide.
A quarter of an hour later the striker would have better luck, escaping the clutches of Alex just enough to angle a terrific finish beyond Salvatore Sirigu.
That goal sparked an incredible 10-minute period in which Carlo Ancelotti’s men turned the game around in magnificent style. Ibrahimovic once again showed his class, steering a volleyed back heel into the net from a corner kick, leaving Steve Mandanda pawing at air.
Moments later the Marseille goalkeeper was plucking the ball from his net again. On this occasion the Swede had taken aim with a free kick from 30 yards, and his fizzing strike beat the wall and cannoned into the net.
Marseille has been made of steely stuff this season, though. OM bounced back before the break via Gignac’s second goal, which was a simple affair as he headed home a corner delivered by Mathieu Valbuena, who fed the striker a steady stream of fine passes.
Before the break PSG really should have retaken the lead, but Javier Pastore shot wide after fine work from Christiophe Jallet.
The second half proved to be a far tighter affair. Now it was the visiting side which dominated matters, yet opportunities were sparse. Those chances that did arrive came to the capital club. Jeremy Menez fed substitute Kevin Gameiro to shoot wide early in the period, while Ibrahimovic could not keep his effort down on the stretch after more good work from the former Roma man.
Ultimately the sides had to settle for a draw, which preserves the status quo at the summit of Le Championnat. OM remains top on 19 points, with PSG having missed the opportunity to leapfrog the Provence club three marks further back after eight rounds of action.
Atletico Madrid 2-1 Malaga: Own goal moves capital club level with Barcelona in La Liga
Atletico Madrid maintained its impressive unbeaten start to the season with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Malaga at the Vicente Calderon.
Radamel Falcao scored his eighth league goal of the season to put the home side ahead after six minutes before Roque Santa Cruz equalized with a powerful header. However, with only two minutes remaining Weligton diverted the ball into his own net to gift Diego Simeone's side all three points.
Los Colchoneros took the lead after only six minutes through their prolific talisman Falcao. the Colombian striker evaded his marker to head Emre Belozoglu's inviting cross past the hapless Willy Caballero. Diego Simeone's side dominated the early stages and nearly doubled the lead when Juanfran sprang forward from right back, but his cross was just too high for the unmarked Adrian in the middle.
Falcao was proving to be a constant thorn in Manuel Pellegrini's side. In the 31st minute, he broke the offside trap to latch onto Arda Turan's clever through pass only to be denied by the linesman's flag. Replays showed that the striker was onside.
Thibaut Courtois had been a mere spectator until this point bar one relatively comfortable save from Camacho's speculative long-range effort but he was helpless to prevent Roque Santa Cruz from leveling the scores on 36 minutes. The Manchester City loanee showed his aerial prowess by thumping an unstoppable header past Courtois from Nacho Monreal's cross.
Falcao nearly restored Atletico's lead just before the break, but Weligton produced a crucial interception to divert Adrian's low cross wide of the post.
The Atletico attacking duo continued to cause Malaga problems after the break and Falcao came within inches of doubling his tally on 54 minutes when he met his strike partner's low cross at the front post but could not divert it goalwards.
Malaga was struggling to fashion chances on the Atletico goal although Isco's stinging drive just over the crossbar on the 72 minute mark was the closest Manuel Pellegrini's side came to taking the lead.
With the game seemingly heading for a draw, Weligton was the unfortunate villain as Miranda's knockdown struck his legs and ricocheted past Caballero to give Diego Simeone's side three points to bring it level with Barcelona at the top of La Liga.
Atletico Madrid maintained its impressive unbeaten start to the season with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Malaga at the Vicente Calderon.
Radamel Falcao scored his eighth league goal of the season to put the home side ahead after six minutes before Roque Santa Cruz equalized with a powerful header. However, with only two minutes remaining Weligton diverted the ball into his own net to gift Diego Simeone's side all three points.
Los Colchoneros took the lead after only six minutes through their prolific talisman Falcao. the Colombian striker evaded his marker to head Emre Belozoglu's inviting cross past the hapless Willy Caballero. Diego Simeone's side dominated the early stages and nearly doubled the lead when Juanfran sprang forward from right back, but his cross was just too high for the unmarked Adrian in the middle.
Falcao was proving to be a constant thorn in Manuel Pellegrini's side. In the 31st minute, he broke the offside trap to latch onto Arda Turan's clever through pass only to be denied by the linesman's flag. Replays showed that the striker was onside.
Thibaut Courtois had been a mere spectator until this point bar one relatively comfortable save from Camacho's speculative long-range effort but he was helpless to prevent Roque Santa Cruz from leveling the scores on 36 minutes. The Manchester City loanee showed his aerial prowess by thumping an unstoppable header past Courtois from Nacho Monreal's cross.
Falcao nearly restored Atletico's lead just before the break, but Weligton produced a crucial interception to divert Adrian's low cross wide of the post.
The Atletico attacking duo continued to cause Malaga problems after the break and Falcao came within inches of doubling his tally on 54 minutes when he met his strike partner's low cross at the front post but could not divert it goalwards.
Malaga was struggling to fashion chances on the Atletico goal although Isco's stinging drive just over the crossbar on the 72 minute mark was the closest Manuel Pellegrini's side came to taking the lead.
With the game seemingly heading for a draw, Weligton was the unfortunate villain as Miranda's knockdown struck his legs and ricocheted past Caballero to give Diego Simeone's side three points to bring it level with Barcelona at the top of La Liga.
- Status
