..::Football II::..

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Neymar: I will only play alongside Messi if he joins Santos

Santos attacker Neymar has once more repeated that a move to Europe is not an option for him at the moment as he is eager to stay at his current club at least until the end of his contract.

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මූ barca ආවා නම් පට්ට

 

[rcccc]

I am not friends with Messi, but there are no issues between us, says Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo says he has a strictly professional relationship with Lionel Messi and is not friends with the Argentina international.

The pair have been painted as fierce rivals in recent years, with both players competing for the same club and individual honors. Even though he admits they are not close, Ronaldo is adamant there are no issues between the two of them and expressed his respect for the Barcelona man.

"He [Lionel Messi] is a great player," Ronaldo told beIN sport. "I have a professional relationship [with him] like I have with other players. I'm not friends with him, because we don't share the same dressing room. I respect him like a professional. We're not real friends, just friends through our profession.

Mancini's first request to City's new sporting director: Get me Brazilian superstar Neymar

Wanted: Brazilian forward Neymar

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Olympiakos 3-1 Montpellier: Greek side close gap on Arsenal, French champions eliminated in Group B

Olympiakos recorded a 3-1 win over Montpellier in Tuesday's Champions League B encounter in Piraeus, with a second-half flurry breaking open a tie game and sending the French champions tumbling out of the competition.

Portuguese midfielder Paulo Machado gifted the hosts the lead early on when he found the net from inside the area, but Younes Belhanda restored parity halfway through the second half from the penalty spot. Leandro Greco and Kostas Mitroglou then added their names to the score sheet in the closing stages of the game to help the hosts to victory.

The Greek giants started the match the better side of the two and needed only four minutes to open the scoring. Greco danced past his direct opponent down the left before sending in a low cross for Mitroglou, who saw his shot hit the upright. Machado was alert, though, and tapped home from close range to make it 1-0.

Mitroglou then came close to doubling his side's lead after some sloppy defending from Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa; however, Montpellier goalkeeper Geoffrey Jourdren pulled off a superb save to bail out Yanga-Mbiwa and deny the prolific attacker.

Montpellier then took over the initiative and created a number of dangerous chances within the space of minutes. Roy Carroll first denied Jonathan Tinhan with a good reflex, before the experienced glovesman did well to collect Joris Marveaux's header from close range.

There was little Carroll could do to stop Belhanda's attempt in the 67th minute, though. The referee had no other choice but to award the away side a spot kick after Dimitris Siovas pulled down Camara inside the area, and the playmaker had no trouble slotting home from the spot.

Olympiakos kept on pushing and were eventually rewarded in the 80th minute. The Montpellier defense allowed Greco too much space after a corner kick, and the winger fired home from inside the area to make it 2-1. Things would only get worse for the French champions from here on, and Mitroglou doubled the deficit only minutes later. A fine cross from Jose Holebas reached the prolific attacker, who volleyed past the helpless Jourdren after escaping Yanga-Mbiwa's attention.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

AC Milan 1-1 Malaga: Pato rescues point, but visitors confirm spot in next round

Malaga retained its unbeaten record in the UEFA Champions League, as a 1-1 draw with AC Milan at the San Siro was enough to confirm its progression to the Round of 16.

A win or draw would have ensured progression from Group C for Manuel Pellegrini's men, and that was certainly on the cards when Eliseu fired them ahead five minutes before half time. The second half brought a change in tactics from the visitors as they looked to defend their one-goal advantage; however, they were eventually beaten when Alexandre Pato headed in an equalizer in the 73rd minute as the teams shared the point.

With both teams keen to push forward it made for an extremely open start to the game in which possession was given away far too cheaply in midfield, stopping either side from getting into any sort of rhythm.

After Eliseu failed to beat Christian Abbiati with an ambitious chip, Milan began to take a hold of the game and pen its opponents back. In the 19th minute on the clock the hosts tested the away keeper for the first time, as Bojan showed fantastic feet to wriggle between a number of Malaga shirts out on the right. Having cut inside to create the space he lashed an effort on goal that, despite taking a deflection, was parried aside by the stretching Wilfredo Caballero.

The keeper then produced another inspired save as he tipped Urby Emanuelson's precise 20-yard free kick out. The Dutchman's effort looked destined for the top corner, but Caballero had other ideas, diving to his right and tipping the ball wide with the slightest of touches.

The Andalusians were largely restricted to playing on the counterattack but they still looked dangerous when Joaquin, Eliseu and Isco linked up intricately. It was one such combination that saw Malaga strike first five minutes before halftime. Isco shifted the ball away from Nigel De Jong before threading a diagonal ball to put Eliseu in behind. The Portuguese struck the ball first time and found the bottom corner with Abbiati rooted.

Massimiliano Allegri's side came out for the second half with much more urgency and forged a decent opportunity five minutes after the restart. Bojan fed Emanuelson at the top of the box but his shot was tame and rolled comfortably into the hands of Caballero.

The visitors then began to display why they have been so difficult to score against as they put two solid lines behind the ball and squeezed the space available to the Diavolo. But as they began to sit deeper and deeper, the pressure became too much and they conceded for the first time in the tournament. Kevin Constant exposed Joaquin's defensive frailties as he charged to the line and swung in a deep cross that Pato nodded in at the back post.

The draw puts Malaga in the hat for the next round, while second-placed Milan travels to Brussels in two weeks to face Anderlecht in a must-win fixture, with Anderlecht just a point behind the Rossoneri.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Manchester City 2-2 Ajax: Aguero nets equalizer but hosts edge closer to elimination

MANCHESTER, England -- The pressure intensified on Roberto Mancini as Manchester City drew 2-2 with Ajax to face almost certain elimination from the Champions League. Mancini’s side can still mathematically qualify for the knockout stages but it is a long shot after the Premier League club failed to beat the Group D underdogs at home.

Ajax captain Siem de Jong took advantage of shocking City defending at corners to put the visitors 2-0 up after 17 minutes.Yaya Toure reduced the deficit soon afterwards with an acrobatic volley to give his team hope it could still be in the competition by the time it hosts Real Madrid in three weeks.

Sergio Aguero scored the equalizer with 16 minutes left but Ajax defended stoutly to keep out a late City charge.The draw leaves City rooted to the bottom of the toughest of the eight Champions League groups, with just two points, five adrift of second-placed Borussia Dortmund.

Mancini's team teeters on the absolute precipice, requiring victories from the final two matches - home to Real and away to Dortmund - and other results to go its way to be involved in the competition in February.For this must-win fixture, Man City made three changes from the team that drew 0-0 at West Ham last Saturday, with Aguero, Pablo Zabaleta and the fit-again Javi Garcia replacing Mario Balotelli, Edin Dzeko and the injured Kolo Toure.

With City experiencing a glut of defensive injuries, there was one unfamiliar face on the substitute’s bench, 18-year-old center back Courtney Meppen-Walter, a member of City’s development squad.The rookie could hardly have defended worse than his more senior colleagues early on as Ajax seized upon some dreadful marking to score twice from corners.

After nine minutes, Matija Nastasic demonstrated how raw he is at this level by, first, making a horrible hash of his clearance to concede a corner from a low cross and, then, failing to deal with the resulting set piece, prodding the ball back across goal to allow De Jong to loft in the opener.Eight minutes later, alarmingly lax marking from City allowed De Jong to steal in to meet a near-post inswinger and guide his free header past Joe Hart.

Ajax may not have sold out the away end but the visiting fans were by now bouncing up and down in coordinated jollity as the Group D underdogs scented a famous win and an improbable passage into the Champions League knockout stages.Toure pulled one back for City after 22 minutes with a fabulous piece of skill, chesting down a cross at the back post and then volleying past Kenneth Vermeer.

The home side looked dangerous every time it attacked but a brilliant clearance from Ricardo van Rhijn and Zabaleta’s failure to take advantage of a fine headed opportunity meant that Ajax ended an even half with a 2-1 advantage.Mancini went all-out attack after the break, replacing Garcia with Balotelli and it was a move that paid dividends as the Italian’s flick-on set up Aguero for the equalizer.

Oddly, the Argentine’s footing had let him down on a number of occasions in good positions during the game but he managed to stay on his feet after 74 minutes when Balotelli headed on Hart’s goal-kick to slickly level the scores.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Dynamo Kiev 0-0 Porto: Stalemate enough to see Portuguese side into last 16

Porto sealed its progress to the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League despite failing to break down a determined Dynamo Kiev side during a 0-0 draw in Ukraine.

The Portuguese side remains top of Group A despite dropping points for the first time in the group stage, while the home side must now win both of their remaining matches to have any chance of reaching the knockout stage. Porto can secure the top spot in the group if its beats Dinamo Zagreb in matchday five, though that will depend on Paris Saint-Germain's result against Kiev on the same night.

Both teams started slowly, and the closest either side came to scoring in the opening 20 minutes came when Marco Ruben's weak effort hit Eliaquim Mangala on the arm, though the defender didn't know much about the obstruction.

Porto top scorer Jackson Martinez was the main threat for the Portuguese champions, and he almost opened the scoring when he met James Rodriguez's searching cross from the left, but his low header was acrobatically turned round the post by young goalkeeper Maksym Koval.

That chance was the catalyst for the match to open up somewhat, and Taye Taiwo tried his luck from distance for the home side, though his specualtive volley drifted wide of the post. Danilo then tested Koval with a weak effort from distance, but there was precious little talking points in an opening period where defenses dominated.

Porto began the second half much better than they had the first, and Silvestre Varela thought he had broken the deadlock as he latched onto Rodriguez's perfectly weighted through ball, but his shot across goal rolled narrowly wide.

The Ukrainian side responded to this scare and Andriy Yarmolenko tested Helton with a powerful effort from the corner of the box, though the shot was straight at the goalkeeper.

With both sides looking for the opening goal, there were chances for both sides, and Rodriguez was the next to try his luck as he shot straight at Koval after Lucho Gonzalez had worked hard to keep the ball in on the byline.

Vitor Pereira's side was almost handed a large slice of luck on the hour mark as Joao Moutinho's free kick took a big deflection off the wall and Koval was left as a spectator as the ball fell narrowly wide.

Kiev had its best chance of the night with 25 minutes remaining when Yarmolenko was put through by substitute Lukman Haruna but he shot weakly at Helton from just inside the area.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Anderlecht 1-0 Zenit: Battling Belgians boost qualification hopes

A first-half goal from Dieumerci Mbokani was enough to hand Anderlecht a 1-0 win and all three points against a lackluster Zenit St. Petersburg side and keep their hopes of qualification for the knockout round of the UEFA Champions League alive.

The Congo striker combined superbly with American midfielder Sacha Kljestan to settle a tense match in Brussels, as the Russian side struggled to create any chance of note in the absence of Brazil international Hulk.

Anderlecht surprisingly elected to leave Tom De Sutter on the bench despite his recent form in front of goal, with Mbokani starting as the lone striker in his stead. Mbokani was presented with the first opening of the match after less than a minute, when Milan Jovanovic's cross was missed by Tomas Hubocan and slmost bounced kindly for the striker, but he was unable to bring it under control.

Anderlecht continued to look the brighter of the two sides in the opening exchanges, and, just past the 15-minute mark, Mbokani justified his selection with a superbly-taken goal, linking up with Kljestan on the edge of the box before chipping the ball over Vyacheslav Malefeev to notch his side's first goal in four games in the competition this season.

Zenit began to get a foothold on the ball but was unable to make any real attacking headway, with Axel Witsel's booking for a clumsy challenge an embodiment of the frustration within the Russian ranks.

Luciano Spalletti brought on Danny at the break to spark some life into his attack, and the 29-year-old almost had an immediate impact when his dangerous free-kick fell to the feel of Witsel, only for Anderlecht goalkeeper Silvio Proto to deny the Belgian with a smart save.

Chances were few and far between for the remainder of the match, with Anderlecht all too often winning the battle in midfield to prevent the visitors from making any real headway in the final third while the center back duo of Kouyate and Bram Nuytinck as immense at the heart of the hosts' defense.

Anderlecht trails AC Milan by one point for second place in Group C ahead of their clash in two weeks' time, while Zenit sits in last place, still within range but in need of help in the remaining two games, trailing Milan by two points and Anderlecht by one.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Real Madrid 2-2 Borussia Dortmund: Ozil denies German champions from securing famous double

Real Madrid left it late to secure a 2-2 draw against Borussia Dortmund in a pulsating Champions League clash at Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday.

A display of defensive diligence and deadly counterattacking seemed set to send the German outfit to its second victory over Jose Mourinho's men, but a free kick from Mesut Ozil in the 89th minute salvaged a point for the hosts.

Marco Reus gave Dortmund the lead in the 28th minute before Pepe leveled the scores six minutes later, but another charge forward on the break saw Alvaro Arbeloa turn into his own net moments before half time.

The visitors ramped up their defensive intensity in the second half and seemed set to frustrate the hosts into submission but, with stoppage time looming, Ozil stepped up to bury a set-piece to split the points and keep things tight at the top of Group D.

Mourinho made two changes from the 4-0 win over Real Zaragoza. Xabi Alonso returned from suspension to replace Michael Essien, while Raphael Varane came in for Raul Albiol in the home side’s defense.

Jurgen Klopp, meanwhile, opted to name the same XI that labored to a 0-0 draw with Stuttgart in the Bundesliga, as captain Sebastian Kehl, who was forced off with a facial injury over the weekend, started with a protective face mask.Madrid could have been ahead as early as two minutes into the game had Gonzalo Higuain taken a better first touch after racing through on goal instead of allowing Roman Weidenfeller the time to remove the danger.

Dortmund’s counterattack was shaping up to be quite a threat for the home side, and Marcel Schmelzer nearly took advantage of a gap in defense, but Iker Casillas was able to make a smart save.Los Blancos found it hard to create much space in the opposition half, as the pressure from the visitors off the ball forced them into a number of mistakes in possession.

In a rare successful attack, Higuain managed to spring the BVB offside trap, but his first-time cross to Cristiano Ronaldo at the far post was hit with too much purchase for the Portuguese international to steer on target.Then with 28 minutes gone, Madrid was made to feel the true potency of Dortmund on the break. A perfectly placed flicked header from Robert Lewandowski released Reus on the left, and the German Footballer of the Year smashed a fine half-volley past Casillas.

However, the goal seemed to finally click Los Blancos into gear. After Dortmund had lost possession in its own half, the ball was worked wide to Ozil, who sent a fantastic cross to the far post, where Pepe charged in over Schmelzer to plant a punishing header into the roof of the net.

Madrid was well on top following the equalizer, and it seemed to be only a matter of time before the club struck again. A last-ditch tackle from Neven Subotic on Ronaldo sparked BVB on the beak, where Varane repeated the feat on the onrushing Ilkay Gundogan.But, with seconds to go until halftime, Dortmund carved the opposition apart again.Lewandowski set things in motion with another flicked header, Kevin Grosskreutz took the ball in stride and centered across the face of goal, and Gotze’s finish was deflected past Casillas by Arbeloa.

Mourinho brought on Jose Callejon for Higuain at halftime, and moments after the restart, it appeared that he had struck gold with the change. The substitute bent a fine finish past Weidenfeller, but the goal was chalked off after he had strayed inches offside.It was a much better start to the second half from the hosts, and Ozil’s cross shot from the flanks forced Weidenfeller into a quick parry at his near post.

Dortmund was able to regroup in defense though, and as the second half wore on, Madrid found it harder to create clear-cut chances, despite its dominance in possession.Cracks began to appear in the visitors defense as the match entered its closing stages, but Los Blancos were unable to apply the finishing touch as Dortmund managed to hang on.

But with one minute of regulation remaining, just when it looked like there was no way back for Madrid, Ozil waved Ronaldo off a free kick and bent the set-piece expertly into the bottom corner past the scrambling Weidenfeller to give the home side the breakthrough right at the end.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Schalke 2-2 Arsenal: Gunners fails to win


Arsenal weas pegged back from two goals up by Schalke for a 2-2 draw as it earned a valuable point away from home in Group B of the Champions League.

The Gunners took the lead with Walcott tapping into an empty net, and doubled their advantage as Giroud nodded home. But a goal from Klass-Jan Huntelaar halved the deficit before Jefferson Farfan levelled the scores.Despite late pressure from the Schalke, Arsene Wenger's side stayed strong to secure a vital point to stay second in its group.


Schalke began as expected, with Huntelaar as striker and support on the flanks from Ibrahim Afellay and Farfan. Lewis Holtby, who continues to be linked with a move to the Premier League, began in the center for the German side.


Arsene Wenger chose to replace the under-fire left back Andre Santos with Laurent Koscielny, as the French defender moved centrally, with ThomasVermaelen filling in on the flank.


Elsewhere, Walcott earned a starting place following his cameo against Manchester United, with Aaron Ramsey dropping out of the squad entirely.The hosts started strongly, with Afellay testing Vito Mannone with a low shot that the keeper palmed away, before Benedikt Howedes came close with a header from a corner, but his effort drifted onto the top of the net.


And somewhat against the run of play, the visitors took the lead through Walcott, a man who has stated his preference for playing through the middle this season.


Giroud was sent through by a suicidal header from Roman Neustadter, but as he elected to try and chip Lars Unnerstall, he kicked the floor. As Howedes made a last-ditch challenge, Walcott sped in to round the keeper via a deflection and tap the ball into the empty net.The Gunners extended their lead in the 26th minute, with Giroud nodding home his first Champions League goal after some fine work from Lukas Podolski.


After a good move involving Walcott, Jack Wilshere and Giroud, the ball found its way to Podolski on the left wing. The striker slipped, but his recovery was so quick that it surprised the defense, as he turned and swung in a great cross for the unmarked Frenchman to score.


Huntelaar fired Schalke back into the game in first-half stoppage time, with an unnerving finish into the bottom corner after some nice work from the midfield, with Holtby's assist a fine pass.Giroud could have added another shortly after the break, but volleyed over from another Podolski cross, while Huntelaar missed a sitter at the other end, with Mannone saving well.


A controversial moment came on the hour mark as Podolski looked to be through on goal, but play was brought back with Marco Hoger down injured. The striker vented his frustrations and was booked for dissent, while Hoger was subbed for Kyriakos Papadopoulos.


The hosts were level in the 67th minute though, as a cross in from the left that Holtby couldn't direct goalwards was pounced on by Farfan, with his shot deflected in by Vermaelen.


Schalke generally dominated the rest of the game, but looked susceptible to Arsenal's counterattack, and while Walcott had a very late effort saved, neither side could claim all three points in an enthralling encounter.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Paris Saint-Germain 4-0 Dinamo Zagreb: Second-half surge edges French closer to qualification

Paris Saint-Germain cruised to a comfortable 4-0 win over Dinamo Zagreb as the visitors were eliminated from the Champions League group stage in an entertaining game at the Parc des Princes.

The visitors started the Group A encounter brightly, before Alex opened the scoring against the run of play after 16 minutes. Despite Zagreb maintaining pressure against the French runner-up, PSG eventually managed to undo the opposition with three second half goals.

All three were assisted by Zlatan Ibrahimovic, as Blaise Matuidi, Jeremy Menez and Guillaume Hoarau all scored to ensure that qualification is within sight for the capital club.

The hosts, expected to be re-invigorated after their shock 1-2 defeat to Saint-Etienne at the weekend, were too sloppy and disjointed in the opening proceedings, as Ante Cacic's men unexpectedly asserted their authority early on.

A defensive slip by Alex almost invited Marcelo Brozovic into an attacking chance, before Josip Pivaric latches onto a fine ball by Sammir on the left, and watched on as his fizzing low effort whisked past Salvatore Sirigu's goal by inches.

It took a little while for Les Parisiens to finally hit their stride, but even when they took the lead, they were not exactly out of second gear. From Jeremy Menez's corner, Zlatan Ibrahimovic helped on a pass towards center-back Alex, whose fantastic half-volley evaded the reach of Ivan Kelava after 16 minutes.

The goal sought to appease a fervent and demanding home faithful, who were already booing their side before the breakthrough, and it could've been 2-0 after young midfielder Adrien Rabiot fired over the bar after good work by Mohamed Sissoko.

Carlo Ancelotti's side toiled, and while its performance was not exactly that expected of a Champions League dark horse, it still managed to carve out opportunities as Ezequiel Lavezzi - back after a month out - slammed his effort in the side netting, despite a determined run.

The second half saw the French side step up its efforts and it was almost rewarded as Menez tapped in after a great pass by substitute Marco Verratti, with the offside flag curtailing its progress.

Dinamo was still threatening, and was close in breaking its Champions League duck as an enterprising Sime Vrsaljko produced a dipping cross, with Ante Rukavina's header flying narrowly over Sirigu's goal.

Subsequently, the Croatian champion was easily overridden in a matter of minutes after two brilliant moments of magic from Ibrahimovic. Firstly, Lavezzi's surging run towards the 31-year-old saw him provide Blaise Matuidi with a fine through-ball, as the midfielder turned past the goalkeeper for 2-0 on the hour.

Four minutes later, the game was settled as Ante Cacic's men realized their exit from the group stage. Ibrahimovic was once more the creative output as he fed Menez who subsequently cut in past a defender and fired the ball past Kelava for 3-0.

A clearly dazed opposition was still feeling the effects of its setback, and was unable to get back into the game. It was 4-0 with ten minutes to go after Matuidi set through Ibrahimovic, who slipped before still managing to pick out substitute Hoarau who produced the tap-in to eliminate Dinamo.

PSG resumes its Ligue 1 duties with a trip to champions Montpellier on Sunday, having amassed nine points in Group A. For Dinamo Zagreb, it will want to make a better impression of itself with its two remaining games now effectively dead rubbers.

 

[Banks PLK]

Manchester City 2-2 Ajax: Aguero nets equalizer but hosts edge closer to elimination

MANCHESTER, England -- The pressure intensified on Roberto Mancini as Manchester City drew 2-2 with Ajax to face almost certain elimination from the Champions League. Mancini’s side can still mathematically qualify for the knockout stages but it is a long shot after the Premier League club failed to beat the Group D underdogs at home.

Ajax captain Siem de Jong took advantage of shocking City defending at corners to put the visitors 2-0 up after 17 minutes.Yaya Toure reduced the deficit soon afterwards with an acrobatic volley to give his team hope it could still be in the competition by the time it hosts Real Madrid in three weeks.

Sergio Aguero scored the equalizer with 16 minutes left but Ajax defended stoutly to keep out a late City charge.The draw leaves City rooted to the bottom of the toughest of the eight Champions League groups, with just two points, five adrift of second-placed Borussia Dortmund.

Mancini's team teeters on the absolute precipice, requiring victories from the final two matches - home to Real and away to Dortmund - and other results to go its way to be involved in the competition in February.For this must-win fixture, Man City made three changes from the team that drew 0-0 at West Ham last Saturday, with Aguero, Pablo Zabaleta and the fit-again Javi Garcia replacing Mario Balotelli, Edin Dzeko and the injured Kolo Toure.

With City experiencing a glut of defensive injuries, there was one unfamiliar face on the substitute’s bench, 18-year-old center back Courtney Meppen-Walter, a member of City’s development squad.The rookie could hardly have defended worse than his more senior colleagues early on as Ajax seized upon some dreadful marking to score twice from corners.

After nine minutes, Matija Nastasic demonstrated how raw he is at this level by, first, making a horrible hash of his clearance to concede a corner from a low cross and, then, failing to deal with the resulting set piece, prodding the ball back across goal to allow De Jong to loft in the opener.Eight minutes later, alarmingly lax marking from City allowed De Jong to steal in to meet a near-post inswinger and guide his free header past Joe Hart.

Ajax may not have sold out the away end but the visiting fans were by now bouncing up and down in coordinated jollity as the Group D underdogs scented a famous win and an improbable passage into the Champions League knockout stages.Toure pulled one back for City after 22 minutes with a fabulous piece of skill, chesting down a cross at the back post and then volleying past Kenneth Vermeer.

The home side looked dangerous every time it attacked but a brilliant clearance from Ricardo van Rhijn and Zabaleta’s failure to take advantage of a fine headed opportunity meant that Ajax ended an even half with a 2-1 advantage.Mancini went all-out attack after the break, replacing Garcia with Balotelli and it was a move that paid dividends as the Italian’s flick-on set up Aguero for the equalizer.

Oddly, the Argentine’s footing had let him down on a number of occasions in good positions during the game but he managed to stay on his feet after 74 minutes when Balotelli headed on Hart’s goal-kick to slickly level the scores.

No luck damn d 1st 2 goals were just plain stupid

 

[rcccc]

Olympiakos 3-1 Montpellier: Greek side close gap on Arsenal, French champions eliminated in Group B

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Real Madrid 2-2 Borussia Dortmund: Ozil denies German champions from securing famous double

Real Madrid left it late to secure a 2-2 draw against Borussia Dortmund in a pulsating Champions League clash at Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday.

A display of defensive diligence and deadly counterattacking seemed set to send the German outfit to its second victory over Jose Mourinho's men, but a free kick from Mesut Ozil in the 89th minute salvaged a point for the hosts.

Marco Reus gave Dortmund the lead in the 28th minute before Pepe leveled the scores six minutes later, but another charge forward on the break saw Alvaro Arbeloa turn into his own net moments before half time.

The visitors ramped up their defensive intensity in the second half and seemed set to frustrate the hosts into submission but, with stoppage time looming, Ozil stepped up to bury a set-piece to split the points and keep things tight at the top of Group D.

Mourinho made two changes from the 4-0 win over Real Zaragoza. Xabi Alonso returned from suspension to replace Michael Essien, while Raphael Varane came in for Raul Albiol in the home side’s defense.

Jurgen Klopp, meanwhile, opted to name the same XI that labored to a 0-0 draw with Stuttgart in the Bundesliga, as captain Sebastian Kehl, who was forced off with a facial injury over the weekend, started with a protective face mask.Madrid could have been ahead as early as two minutes into the game had Gonzalo Higuain taken a better first touch after racing through on goal instead of allowing Roman Weidenfeller the time to remove the danger.

Dortmund’s counterattack was shaping up to be quite a threat for the home side, and Marcel Schmelzer nearly took advantage of a gap in defense, but Iker Casillas was able to make a smart save.Los Blancos found it hard to create much space in the opposition half, as the pressure from the visitors off the ball forced them into a number of mistakes in possession.

In a rare successful attack, Higuain managed to spring the BVB offside trap, but his first-time cross to Cristiano Ronaldo at the far post was hit with too much purchase for the Portuguese international to steer on target.Then with 28 minutes gone, Madrid was made to feel the true potency of Dortmund on the break. A perfectly placed flicked header from Robert Lewandowski released Reus on the left, and the German Footballer of the Year smashed a fine half-volley past Casillas.

However, the goal seemed to finally click Los Blancos into gear. After Dortmund had lost possession in its own half, the ball was worked wide to Ozil, who sent a fantastic cross to the far post, where Pepe charged in over Schmelzer to plant a punishing header into the roof of the net.

Madrid was well on top following the equalizer, and it seemed to be only a matter of time before the club struck again. A last-ditch tackle from Neven Subotic on Ronaldo sparked BVB on the beak, where Varane repeated the feat on the onrushing Ilkay Gundogan.But, with seconds to go until halftime, Dortmund carved the opposition apart again.Lewandowski set things in motion with another flicked header, Kevin Grosskreutz took the ball in stride and centered across the face of goal, and Gotze’s finish was deflected past Casillas by Arbeloa.

Mourinho brought on Jose Callejon for Higuain at halftime, and moments after the restart, it appeared that he had struck gold with the change. The substitute bent a fine finish past Weidenfeller, but the goal was chalked off after he had strayed inches offside.It was a much better start to the second half from the hosts, and Ozil’s cross shot from the flanks forced Weidenfeller into a quick parry at his near post.

Dortmund was able to regroup in defense though, and as the second half wore on, Madrid found it harder to create clear-cut chances, despite its dominance in possession.Cracks began to appear in the visitors defense as the match entered its closing stages, but Los Blancos were unable to apply the finishing touch as Dortmund managed to hang on.

But with one minute of regulation remaining, just when it looked like there was no way back for Madrid, Ozil waved Ronaldo off a free kick and bent the set-piece expertly into the bottom corner past the scrambling Weidenfeller to give the home side the breakthrough right at the end.

patta gamak ghin thynne

 

[Wolverine GTR]

UEFA Champions League 2012.11.07 Group Stage Fixtures

UEFA Champions League 2012.11.07 Group Stage Fixtures

Chelsea Vs Shakhtar

Juventus Vs Nordsjaelland

Bayern Vs Lille

Valencia Vs BATE

Benfica Vs Spartak Moscow

Celtic Vs Barcelona

Braga Vs Manchester United

Cluj Vs Galatasaray

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[Wolverine GTR]

Half Time

Braga 0 Vs 0 Manchester United

Manchester United 1st Half play kalanam anthimaiOnly 1 shot

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Half Time

Chelsea 2 Vs 1 Shakhtar

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Half Time

Celtic 1 Vs 0 Barcelona

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Congratulations Manchester United!!!

Full Time​

Braga 1 Vs 3 Manchester United

​

Braga Goal(s)​

Alan 49'​

&​

Manchester United Goal(s)​

Van Persie 80'
Rooney 84(PEN)'
Chicharito 90+2'​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Congratulations Manchester United!!!

Congratulations Manchester United!!!

Another late Comeback!

​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Full Time

Chelsea 3 Vs 2 Shakhtar

Chelsea Goal(s)

Torres 6'
Oscar 40'
Moses 90+4'

&

& Shakhtar Goal(s)

Willian 9',47'
​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Heynckes will stay at Bayern, says Hitzfeld

Legendary Bayern Munich coach Ottmar Hitzfeld believes Jupp Heynckes will sign a new contract at the club.

The 67-year-old's current deal at the Allianz Arena expires at the end of this season, and although the former Real Madrid boss hinted that he may end his career, the Switzerland trainer thinks he will stay."He will renew his contract," Hitzfeld told Bild. "He makes every player feel like part of the whole group. That keeps the motivation high and forces competition.

"If you always play with the same 11 players, there is the danger that you get a two-class society. At Bayern, this is not the case and the coach is reliable. Heynckes looks very lively."
Hitzfeld also claimed former coach Louis van Gaal is still angry about his sacking in 2011, after the Dutchman claimed Uli Hoeness tried to force him out of the club.

"You can tell he is still mad that about being sacked by Bayern. It is always bad if a coach is resentful. I was not really sympathetic about that interview."