..::Football II::..

[Wolverine GTR]

Benfica 0-2 Barcelona: Alexis and Cesc strike but Puyol injury stuns Catalans

Goals in each half from Alexis Sanchez and Cesc Fabregas were enough for Barcelona as the Spanish club strolled to a 2-0 Champions League victory over Benfica in Lisbon, but a late injury to Carles Puyol dampened what was a straightforward evening.

A smart close-range finish in the opening stages from Alexis gave his side the perfect start, before Fabregas ensured that Barca would be returning to Camp Nou with all the points when he blasted home 10 minutes into the second period. However, Puyol fell awkwardly on his arm in the closing stages, and is now a doubt for this weekend's Clasico clash against Real Madrid.

With both teams coming out in attacking fashion, a capacity crowd in the iconic Estadio da Luz enjoyed a gripping start to the group stage encounter. Looking to hit quickly on the counter, Benfica quickly called Victor Valdes into action when the goalkeeper was forced to parry away Bruno Cesar's low effort from outside the area. Barcelona's response, however, was as lethal as it was rapid.

With just six minutes on the clock, Lionel Messi took advantage of some slick passing in midfield as he was released on the left-hand side of the penalty area. The Argentine slid the ball straight into the path of Sanchez, who steered it past the stranded Artur to give the Catalan side the lead. Benfica looked to hit back as soon as possible, and only a fine save from the legs of Valdes denied Lima after the striker was played in by a fine pass from Nicolas Gaitan.

Barca moved on to enjoy a predictably dominant share of possession, and could have extended its lead on two golden occasions. In an almost mirror image of the opener, Messi this time took advantage of Alexis' low cross to move in on goal, but 'La Pulga' was denied by a fine save from Artur. It was then the Chilean's turn to threaten. Sanchez did well to control a piercing long-range pass from Xavi and take aim, but with the ball still bouncing the ex-River man's half-volley flew just over the bar.

The closing stages of the first half were marked by some scrappy passages from both teams, with heavy tackling and the odd moment of theatrics making it a busy evening for referee Cuneyt Cakir. Barcelona would have hoped to go in to the break with a stronger advantage than Alexis' solitary effort, but in spite of creating the best chances of the half had to settle for a slender lead as the teams went into the dressing rooms.

With barely a minute on the clock following the restart, the away team could and should have doubled its advantage. Alexis was again let through after drifting away from Maxi Pereira on the right, but the 'Nino Maravilla' saw his effort fly wide of the post to once more let Benfica off the hook. The Chilean was causing all sorts of problems for the host, who looked far too stretched in following Barca's pinpoint passing across the field.

A goal looked inevitable as the whistles of the home crowd welcomed Barcelona's miserly control of the ball, and it duly came through Fabregas. A dizzying run from Lio Messi opened up the Portuguese defense, and the Rosario native picked up his second assist of the evening as his deft through ball was blasted home by the midfielder.

From that point onwards, there was only to be one winner. Benfica continued itsvaliant attempt to get back into the game, but the best chances were still falling to those in the Blaugrana. Pedro went close to claiming a third for his team, but was frustrated by Artur after slipping in neatly behind the defense. Picking up the rebound, Messi somehow ghosted past three defenders in close attention, only to see his own effort blocked.

The rest of the game was a formality, although Barca hearts were once more left in their mouths when Puyol screamed out in agony after a heavy fall in the penalty area. The central defender, having just returned from injury, was taken off for Song in what could be a major blow for the away team days from the Clasico. The scare was a black mark on what was otherwise an accomplished Barca performance, as was a late red for Sergio Busquets following a seemingly innocuous clash with Maxi Pereira as they continued their perfect start to the Champions League at the expense of Benfica.

The win means Tito Vilanova's men have picked a maximum of six points in their opening two Group G encounters, extending their winning run in all competitions to six games. The Blaugrana move above Celtic to the summit of their group, while Benfica lies in third with one win and one defeat.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

CFR Cluj 1-2 Manchester United: Van Persie shines as Red Devils fight back to go top of Group H

Manchester United’s unconvincing Champions League form continued in Romania as they made hard work of a 2-1 win over CFR Cluj.

Sir Alex Ferguson had spoken before the match of the need for his side to start strongly, but again they fell behind early on to a Pantelis Kapetanos strike before Robin van Persie struck twice to seal victory.

The visitors made six changes from the side that lost to Spurs at the weekend. David De Gea returned in goal whilst Anderson, Tom Cleverley and Darren Fletcher featured in midfield, and Wayne Rooney and Chicharito joined Robin van Persie in attack.

Yet despite all the attacking talent on show from Manchester United it was CFR Cluj who struck first.

Brazilian Rafael Bastos began the move picking out Modou Sougou on the right with a superb diagonal ball. The CFR Cluj No.99 then crossed into the box where a completely unmarked Kapetanos swept the ball low and into the corner past a despairing De Gea.

At home and with a precious lead against their illustrious opponents, CFR Cluj sat back and awaited the inevitable onslaught and United duly went on the attack with Rooney turning and firing wide before Van Persie thumped a decent chance past the post after neat work by Cleverley.

However, against a side who have kept just two clean sheets in their last 12 matches it was little surprise to see United finally score just shy of the half-hour mark when Van Persie pulled the Red Devils level.

A free-kick from the left was swung in by Rooney finding the Dutchman completely unmarked, and his looping header dipped over goalkeeper Mario Felgueiras and into the back of the net.

The visitors continued to dominate the play but had to wait until just after the interval to finally take the lead and again it was Rooney who was the provider. The England international, out wide on the right, floated a perfectly-weighted ball through to Van Persie who grabbed his second of the night with a neat flick over the onrushing Felgueiras.

Yet it was not all one-way traffic and Cluj came back strongly with goalscorer Kapetanos firing high and wide when in space and with plenty of time, before another superb corner from Bastos found Cadu heading strongly at goal but an alert De Gea managed to tip it to safety.

However, United managed to reassert their grip on the game and patiently kept possession to see the game out safely, without ever really looked like adding to their tally, and with chances at a premium in the closing stages.

Indeed perhaps the best chance of the second half, came in stoppage time, but it was the hosts who almost equalised in sensational style.

Yet again the danger came from the Cluj right flank, with Pinto crossing for Bastos to fire a bullet header goalwards but a vital stop from De Gea at his near post saved his side and ensured the visitors went home with all three points.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

FC Nordsjaelland 0-4 Chelsea: Mata at the double as holders run riot

In a scoreline that did not justify the away side's performance, Chelsea ran out 4-0 winners over FC Nordsjaelland on Tuesday night.

Juan Mata opening the scoring in the first half, but two extended periods of pressure from the Danish champions could, and perhaps should, have led to a different game.

But, David Luiz’s thunderous free kick, Mata’s second and a Ramires tap-in wrapped up Chelsea’s first win of their cup defence.

Roberto Di Matteo made just three changes to his side which beat Arsenal on Saturday, indicating how seriously the Italian was taking the threat of the Danish champions, as John Terry, John Obi Mikel and Eden Hazard were replaced by Gary Cahill, Frank Lampard and Victor Moses.

Nordsjaelland named an unchanged side to the one that lost 2-0 to Shakhtar Donetsk in matchday one.

Chelsea nearly got off to the perfect start when Oscar stood the ball up beautifully inside the area for Moses to simply convert into an empty net from two yards, only for highly-rated Nordsjaelland defender Jores Okore to do enough to head the ball against the post.
It was one-way traffic, with the holders dominating proceedings, with an opening goal seemingly inevitable as Oscar and then Lampard both went close within the first 10 minutes, without being able to test Jesper Hansen.Nordsjaelland finally ventured out of their own half soon after, with Joshua John hitting a wild effort from distance.

But, the hosts took heart from that brief showing and slowly grew in to the game. John again led the charge forward but instead of unleashing a rash attempt at goal, the striker looked up and found Kasper Lorentzen inside the area, but the former Brondby man's effort was blocked by a last-ditch lunge from Ashley Cole.

Lorentzen, though, were made to rue that miss shortly afterwards when Enoch Adu was caught in possession by Fernando Torres, who found Lampard in space centrally. The influential midfielder then fed Mata, who was charging down the right channel, to slot home and give the English side the lead.

Nordsjaelland appeared demotivated by going behind, losing their previous impetus, with Chelsea seemingly content to sit on their narrow lead until the half-time break.

The Blues had the ball in the back of the net within a minute of the restart after Torres had blocked an attempted clearance by Patrick Mtiliga and found Oscar in space 15 yards out, but the Brazilian was correctly flagged offside.

The home side were regimented throughout, if not a tad naive, as they persisted on passing the ball out of defence, despite continually finding themselves under pressure in their own half.
They, again, gradually grew in confidence though, and, again, perhaps should have scored when Okore, who was strong and reliable for the duration, floated an inch-perfect cross onto the head of Mikkel Beckmann inside the box, but the forward’s header looped over the bar.
And, just minutes later, Nordsjaelland again found themselves in a promising position when Beckmann hit a first-time effort across his body with Petr Cech motionless, only to see the ball sliced away from the target.

The hosts were getting closer, and only a glorious Cech save denied Nordsjaelland in their best chance of the game when John cut inside from the left, skipping past David Luiz, and cracking a fierce shot towards the far top corner, which the goalkeeper managed to tip onto the post.
However, as in the first half, just when the home side were at their most threatening, Chelsea pounced.

First, Luiz hit a stunning free kick from the left-hand corner of the area that flew in via the near post, before Mata - Chelsea’s best player on the night - first tried to find an onrushing Lampard inside the box but, with the pass blocked, tried his own luck and coolly slotted the ball under Hansen.

Ramires gave the scoreline a unjust look in stoppage time, rolling in a fourth after neat play from Torres and Oscar, with Di Matteo visibly relieved on the touchline after an extended period of pressure from the Superliga champions.

 

[rcccc]

Sevilla 2-3 Barcelona: Villa caps remarkable Catalan comeback against 10-man Rojiblancos

Barcelona scored two late goals to come from behind and take all three points against Sevilla with a 3-2 win at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.

With the Catalan giants in control during the early stages it came as a surprise when the Rojiblancos went ahead through Piotr Trochowski in the 26th minute. From then on the hosts grew in confidence and they doubled their advantage early in the second half through Alvaro Negredo.

Cesc Fabregas pulled one back for Tito Vilanova's side in the 53rd minute and the hosts were then reduced to 10 men for the final 20 minutes as Gary Medel was shown a red card. Barca pushed for more goals and got them with Fabregas netting his second before a David Villa winner ensured its 100 percent record stayed intact.

Despite being away from home, Barcelona instantly asserted itself on the opposition by retaining the ball and producing some spectacularly intricate football.

One such moment led to the team's first effort on target in the 13th minute as Xavi, Cesc Fabregas and Lionel Messi combined beautifully in the final third Its passing created a chance for the Argentine superstar to shoot from the left side of the box but Andres Palop denied him by getting a strong hand to the ball.

It was clear from the start that Sevilla was going to rely on the counterattack in order to threaten the visitors, and the Rojiblancos broke at speed in the 26th minute. Medel's effort from distance was deflected off of Javier Mascherano and straight to the feet of Trochowski. The German shifted the ball onto his left and rifled a shot past Valdes, with the keeper's weak hand not enough to keep it out.

Barca almost silenced the raucous crowd by drawing level just seconds later. Fabregas challenged Palop for a lofted cross into the box and although the ball fell to Messi just 12 yards from goal, Hedwiges Maduro's excellent block kept the hosts ahead.

Sevilla, though, took charge of the game from then on and three minutes into the second half it doubled the lead. Sergio Busquets' pass was intercepted by Medel and he fed Negredo between Alexandre Song and Mascherano. The striker held off the challenge of the Cameroonian before dinking a delightful finish over the onrushing keeper.

The Blaugrana was unperturbed and after Pedro saw his volley cleared off the line, it halved the deficit with 53 minutes played. A brilliant piece of interplay ended with a loose pass falling to Fabregas who curled home an accurate effort from 20 yards.

Vilanova's men had rediscovered their dominance from the early exchanges but were denied from equalizing on the hour mark through some terrific goalkeeping. Messi bent a brilliant 25-yard free kick that looked destined for the top corner but Palop rose brilliantly to claw it away.

As the Catalan giants' frustration grew, tempers began to flare. A number of rash challenges culminated in a confrontation between Medel and Fabregas in the 72nd minute. The pair came face to face and following an exaggerated reaction from the Barca player, the Chilean was shown a red card.

Fabregas then popped up in the final minutes of normal time as he was picked out in the area by Messi and he stabbed the ball past Palop to salvage what looked like a point for his team.

However, Barca continued to attack and its unforgiving efforts were rewarded as second-half substitute Villa charged into the area before driving the ball past Palop to seal all three points in stoppage time.

Barca remains at the Liga summit, two points ahead of Malaga, while Sevilla remains in fifth position and will rue the missed chance to jump up the table.

 

[rcccc]

Full Time​

CFR Cluj 1 Vs2 Manchester United

​

Cluj Goal(s)​

Kapetanos 14'​

&​

Manchester United Goal(s)​

Robin Van Persie 29',49'​

Congratulations Manchester United!

Van The Man

​

mu arsenal hityanam

 

[rcccc]

Ballack retires from soccer

Former Germany and Bayern Munich captain Michael Ballack has announced his retirement from the game at the age of 36.

The midfielder, who represented four different sides in the Champions League and appeared in 98 games for Die Mannschaft, has decided to end his career after he was released by Bayer Leverkusen earlier this year. He announced his decision via a news statement from his lawyer.

"At 36 years old I can look back on a long and wonderful time in professional football, which I could never have dreamed of as a child," Ballack said.

"It was a privilege to work with world-class coaches and fantastic players. Now I am looking forward to a new chapter in my life."

Ballack, who is largely considered one of Germany's greatest ever midfielders, retires from the game having never won an international tournament, and having lost two Champions League finals.

Nevertheless, the 36-year-old will look back fondly on the four Bundesliga titles, three DFB Pokals, one Premier League title, three FA Cups an a League Cup he won during his time with Kaiserslautern, Leverkusen, Bayern Munich and Chelsea amongst others.

Ballack was rumored to join Major League Soccer following his exit from Bayer Leverkusen, but he was unable to reach an agreement with the North American league. Philadelphia and Montreal had shown the most interest.

 

[charitha chandi]

FC Nordsjaelland 0-4 Chelsea: Mata at the double as holders run riot

elazz ohoma yannn....! .....!!!

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Arsenal links up with US Olympic sprinting legend Michael Johnson

Arsenal has linked up with US Olympic sprinter Michael Johnson in order to improve their players' physical performance.

The Gunners were visited by Johnson at their London Colney training base as they prepare for their Champions League tie against Olympiakos at the Emirates on Wednesday night.

The four-time Olympic gold medallist runs a running performance school in Texas, which various Arsenal players have attended in order to improve their running technique, and Arsene Wenger believes his players can benefit from the 45-year-old's expertise.

"He has no role at the club," Wenger told The Daily Mirror. "He is a runner. We sometimes cooperate with his school. For example, if a player needs to work on some aspects of his physical side, we send them there for preparation. It is a fantastic school, but he is not directly involved with our team. This summer it has been Ignasi Miquel and a few youth players. Has he come back faster? Not fast enough to win a gold medal! But you have two ways to run quickly - I will teach you now. First, is to do as quickly as possible your movement, but you gain that very quickly, you will not improve that at the age of 18.

"The second is that, every time you make your movement, to have more power on your push. That is quite logical. If I can run at the same pace but can gain power every time I push, I gain one inch more. I will be quicker if I can repeat the frequency of my movement. He [Miquel] gained some power, but it is always very difficult to measure if you are 18 or 19 - even if you do nothing, you become a man and you look more muscular. You get an injection of testosterone between 18 and 21, 22, sometimes up to 23. Then you are a real man. Some get it at 19, some at 20-21."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Arbeloa: The Real Madrid squad has a very good relationship with Mourinho

Real Madrid fullback Alvaro Arbeloa believes that reports claiming coach Jose Mourinho is difficult to work with have been wildly blown out of proportion.

A stuttering start to the Primera Division campaign has seen Mourinho prove critical of his players on occasion, with the former Chelsea and Inter boss' outburst against the team following their 1-0 loss to Sevilla of particular note.

However, Arbeloa insists Los Blancos have never been more united in achieving their objectives together, maintaining that it was also normal for there to be competition for places within the side.

"We have a lot of respect for Mourinho and we are mature enough because of this and the trust we place in him," the 29-year-old declared at a press conference. "If there is something we are unhappy about we discuss it in private with him. We have a very good relationship with him.

"We are very close to each other and to the coach. I get on better with some people in this group than with others, but this happens everywhere. I do not have much to say about this. We just have to concentrate and go into the Ajax match tomorrow knowing that it will be hard. We are in a very difficult group and we cannot afford to drop points in any games."

The Spanish champion opened its European campaign with a 3-2 win over Manchester City at the Santiago Bernabeu.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Vilanova: Barcelona is 'always having problems with central defenders'

Barcelona boss Tito Vilanova has been left fuming at having to reshuffle his pack once again, after Carles Puyol picked up a dislocated elbow against Benfica on Tuesday night that could rule him out for a period of months.


Due to absences at the back in the past, the Catalan outfit has been forced to convert a few players into makeshift center backs, with defensive midfielder Javier Mascherano being a prime example.

"We are always having problems with central defenders," exclaimed Vilanova to assembled reporters after his side's Champions League encounter. "It has forced us to convert some players in terms of position. Puyol has now suffered a couple of injuries this season that we might say weren't exactly normal, such as a broken cheekbone, and now a [dislocated] elbow. We'll have to wait and see how long he's going to be out for but he'll be an important loss for us."

The 43-year-old, who took over the Primera Division front-runners in the summer, will be overseeing his second Clasico of the season against Real Madrid on Sunday, and believes the Benfica win stands them in good stead.

"The win took a lot of effort but despite that we took three very important points here in Lisbon. We are very happy with the result. Alexis Sanchez is continuing to show he is a player who wants to grow. As we saw with Cesc Fabregas earlier in the season, now is the time for Alexis to push on. It will be a tough game against Real Madrid. What we must do now is to recover from these last two matches and start to think about the encounter at the weekend."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Messi 'not worried about scoring' for Barcelona as long as club keeps winning

Barcelona forward Lionel Messi has insisted winning is more important than scoring goals, after Tito Vilanova's outfit surged to a 2-0 victory over Benfica in Portugal.


Strikes in either half from Alexis Sanchez and Cesc Fabregas set up by Messi proved to be enough to earn the Spanish front-runners victory at the Estadio da Luz, Barcelona's second win in Group G. For Messi, it marked the third straight match in which he did not tally a goal himself, although he played a role in helping Barcelona winning each game.

"Not scoring? I'm not worried about scoring, that's not the goal of a game," Messi said after the match. "The goal is to win the game.

"Now we'll start to prepare for the Clasico tomorrow. There will be no revenge [for the Spanish Super Cup], we are just motivated to continue winning in the Liga.

Meanwhile, the club has confirmed that veteran center back Carles Puyol dislocated his left elbow after landing awkwardly in the second half, effectively ruling the 34-year-old out of his side's crunch encounter against Real Madrid this weekend.

"Puyol's injury is a real shame, he was just coming back from one. I don't yet know how long he will be out for though."

Despite Puyol's enforced absence, Vilanova will be crossing his fingers defensive partner Gerard Pique is passed fit for Sunday's match at Camp Nou.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Wenger: Arsenal defenders Gibbs and Jenkison improving with every game

Arsene Wenger believes Arsenal full-backs Kieran Gibbs and Carl Jenkinson are improving with each game they play this season.

Gibbs has come through the youth system at the Emirates making his first team debut in 2007. However, a string of injuries had restricted the 23 year-old to just 34 appearances by the end of the 2011-12 season.

Wenger is hopeful that the young left back's fitness issues are now behind him and that he can build on his consistent start to the season continuing to develop with each fixture.

He told the club's official website: "I am very happy with his performances because he is like Carl - in every game he gets stronger. He was out a lot but now he has found stability in his performances. Gael Clichy had the same problem. He went through a long period of injury and after that he stabilized physically. That’s what Kieran is doing at the moment."

Jenkinson has also made a strong start to his second season with the north London club. The 20-year-old signed from Charlton in June 2011 and struggled with form and fitness in his first campaign for the club.

The Gunners boss believes that, like Gibbs, the former Addicks defender is benefiting from a full preseason's preparation and that greater levels of self-confidence are directly related to his impressive performances so far.

"This year they have benefited from the fact they had a good preparation," he said. "Carl has as well gained one year’s experience compared to last season. He came from Charlton and was straight away thrown into the Champions League."

"You can say that from game to game now he grows because it is linked with confidence. You need first to know that you belong there. Once you know that you can express yourself and then you see that in every game there is more coming out of him."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Lampard: Chelsea can retain the Champions League

Frank Lampard believes that Chelsea has the ability required to become the first side in 22 years to retain the Champions League trophy.


The Blues clinched the crown with a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Bayern Munich in May, and have made a strong start to this season's European campaign, taking four points from their opening two games with a 2-2 draw against Serie A champion Juventus and a 4-0 win away against FC Nordsjaelland.

History is firmly against Chelsea - the feat has never been achieved in the Champions League era - but talisman Lampard feels that the Blues have spirit to match the achievements of the AC Milan side that successfully defended their title in 1990.

"It’s a huge ask," he told Sky Sports. "But there is obviously a chance because we're in it. We've got confidence from last year and we've adapted our style a little bit this year and it’s coming together. It’s a long competition, you have to qualify first then you have to regroup in February if you get that far. Its’ a long road, but we believe at the minute and we'll have to keep working hard to try and get it."

It had been a largely frustrating evening for Di Matteo's side, which took the lead midway through the first half through Juan Mata, as Nordsjaelland were able to stay in the contest and hold out until the final ten minutes, when goals from David Luiz, another from Mata and Ramires put the game beyond doubt.

Lampard was quick to acknowledge the performance of the Danish champion, but also stressed his delight at the west Londoners impressive start to the defense of their crown.

"It’s a tough game here, we came here against a bit of an unknown but we knew they play very good football and we had to bide our time. We put the hard work in and wait for the goals to come at the end."

"I'm very happy with the start of the season, I'm playing in a team that is playing very well and is top of the league. There is a fantastic squad here, and if I can contribute, when you play you try and do your best and be part of a performance like tonight."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Neuer: Bayern Munich missed the chance to take the lead against BATE

Bayern Munich has been left to rue what could have been after Toni Kroos missed a golden opportunity in the opening 15 minutes of a shock 3-1 loss to Belarussian side BATE Borisov on Tuesday night.

Goals from Aleksandr Pavlov, Vitali Rodionov and Renan Bressan were enough to secure three points, despite a consolation goal from Franck Ribery, which saw their side top Group F with maximum points.

"We missed the chance to take the lead and I think things would have been different if we had," conceded goalkeeper Manuel Neuer to reporters after the game. BATE defended well and hit us with counterattacks. Of course it is disappointing to lose 3-1, but you cannot complain about the team's efforts."

Bayern manager Jupp Heynckes was keen to compliment BATE's performance, after their resilience proved too much for the German giants to break down.

"I knew before the game that we were very much up against a good opponent," explained Heynckes, speaking to the club's official website. This is a very organized team, especially on the defensive, which they have proved again today.

"And above all, they have fought selflessly, as we have done. In a game like this you have to take the 1-0 lead. Thus, the opponent will come from being defensive, and you can counter. They have done very well. The best player was their goalkeeper, it can be seen that we made permanent pressure. Ultimately, we must recognise the victory of our opponent."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Sir Alex Ferguson insists Manchester United is strongest in attack

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has praised star strikers Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie after the duo combined to lead his side to victory at CFR Cluj in the Champions League.

The 70-year-old saw his team narrowly overcome the tough Romanian outfit, with Pantelis Kapetanos putting the hosts ahead with a shock early goal.

However, United regained its composure, with Rooney assisting Van Persie twice to ensure United left Transylvania with all three points - and while the Red Devils may be suffering defensive and midfield injuries, the attack looks just fine to the manager.

"The strength of the squad is in the attacking positions," he told ITV. "The pass and the finish [for the second goal], both were equally as good. It's a fantastic finish but what a nice ball Wayne has dropped - I thought it was too far, but Robin has done well to get to it."

Sir Alex refused to be be drawn in to whether this was the start of a prolific partnership for the pair, instead preferring to make a point of having a number of options available to him.

"It's difficult to say [if this is a partnership]. I hope so. I think there's combinations between a few of our players."

The Scot also complemented Cluj on its attitude throughout the match, and insists that despite a nervy encounter, any victory away in Europe is always a good result.

"If you see the way they kept going until the end, they put a lot of telling crosses into the box which kept us under pressure, kept us on edge," Sir Alex said. "I've got to be pleased with the possession, the concentration was really good tonight.

"Apart from the goal, we've defended really well tonight, David [de Gea] made a good save towards the end, so I've got to be pleased. Coming away from home in Europe is never easy, and they've a good home record here."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Wayne Rooney: Manchester United needs to stop giving away silly goals

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney says his side must defend better this season after once again going behind in the Champions League before bouncing back to seal a 2-1 win at CFR Cluj.

The Red Devils had Robin van Persie to thank after the Netherlands international cancelled out Pantelis Kapetanos’ opener before adding a second after the break in Romania. Rooney supplied both goals and admitted after the match that it had been a difficult evening for the Red Devils.

“It was obviously a nice goal, a nice finish by Robin and if players make runs I have more chance to pick them out,” he told ITV Sport. “Obviously it was a tough game, a very tough pitch, you have to make sure you are fully concentrated.”

However, the striker also warned that this team must improve its defending, after going behind yet again.

“It’s difficult in the Champions League and we know that and it was a silly goal to give away, thankfully we managed to get back in the game and win the game,” he added.

“A silly goal and we need to stop that.”

Rooney started the game alongside both Van Persie and Chicharito and also said he felt his side might have had more goals.

“It’s great to get the first 90 minutes in [after injury], I’ve been working hard and looking forward to getting a run in the team,” he said.

“We should have done more with the possession, sometimes in the Champions League, you need to take the heat out of the game, they put us under a bit of pressure at the end but we held on."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

1kanam attha thamai,Yesterday dunna goal 1kath aparade

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Galatasaray 0-2 Braga: Ruben Micael & Alan seal victory for Portuguese visitors

Ruben Micael's close range strike after 27 minutes and a breakaway Alan goal in stoppage time secured Sporting Braga's 2-0 victory over Galatasaray at Ali Sami Yen Stadium in UEFA Champions League play.

The deadlock was broken after the away's side's lone attacker Eder powered his way way into the box and laid the ball back to Ruben Amorim. The midfielder's shot was parried into the stride of Micael, who anticipated the chance well and gleefully converted before the Galatasaray defense was able to react. Alan completed the victory on the break in the last minute of injury time.

Galatasary had started much more assertively, keen to get three points on the board in the first home game of its European campaign after narrowly losing its opening group game to Manchester United two weeks ago.Buark Yilmaz came closest to breaking the deadlock in the opening stages, flighting a 30-yard free kick over Beto’s crossbar in the ninth minutes and then heading over the bar two minutes later.

Micael's goal changed the game however, sapping the Turks of the confidence which with they had started. Good saves from Galatasaray keeper Muslera prevented Braga from doubling its lead as the home side struggled to regain their composure following the shock of falling behind.

The win allowed Braga to bounce back from its shock defeat at the hands of CFR Cluj in the opening match of group play, and Braga trails the Romanians just on goal differential for second place behind Manchester United.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Juventus 1-1 Shakhtar Donetsk: Alex Texeira and Bonucci ensure spoils are shared in Group E

Juventus was forced to come from behind once more to draw its second straight Champions League game, this time splitting the points with Shakhtar Donetsk after a 1-1 result in Turin.

Just like their 2-2 tie against Chelsea on the opening match day, the Bianconeri saw themselves fall behind in the first half after Alex Teixeira gave the visiting side a deserved lead after 23 minutes.

But Juve would quickly hit back within three minutes, as Leonardo Bonucci drilled home an exquisite equalizer on a slick move following a corner.

Both sides had chances to win the match in the second half, but were forced to settle for a share of the spoils, giving Group E rivals Chelsea a two point lead atop the standings.

Massimo Carrera’s only changes from the 4-1 victory over Roma over the weekend came at both wing back spots, with Kwadwo Asamoah and Stephan Lichtsteiner stepping in for Martin Caceres and Paolo De Ceglie.

Shakhtar was expected to struggle after winning only one of their last eight matches on Italian soil, but the Ukrainians instead overwhelmed Juve from the start, pushing forward in great numbers.

Henrik Mkhitaryan fired the first warning shot, blasting a devilish cross from Razvan Rat inches over the bar after ghosting in at the far post.There was an even bigger scare for the hosts in the 13th minute, when Willian would have surely scored but was hauled down by Lichtsteiner, who could have counted himself fortunate to escape without punishment.

Juve was able to forge a brief respite with a pair of openings, with Alessandro Matri coming within inches of turning in a dangerous Mirko Vucinic cross, before a sublime clip from Andrea Pirlo was volleyed over by Claudio Marchisio.

But Shakhtar continued to attack, and saw reward for its endeavor in the 23rd minute.Willian’s shot was blocked following a flowing move, but the Brazilian had the presence of mind to slip the rebound to Teixeira on the left, who blasted into the roof of the net.It was set to be a harsh lesson in Champions League football for the Bianconeri, but three minutes later, they found themselves level after a goal of the highest quality from an unlikely source.

Andrea Pirlo worked a corner low into the area, where Bonucci peeled away from his marker and on the turn, lashed a superb effort into the top corner from 15 yards out.
It was a move straight out of the training ground, and moments later, another slick passage of play nearly saw Juve pounce again, but Rat was on hand to block Artuo Vidal at close range, before Matri blasted the rebound straight into Andriy Pyatov’s arms.

Shakhtar continued to look dangerous, but the home side had managed to work itself onto more of an even footing in the game. Bonucci nearly came up with the goods again moments before halftime when attacking a corner, but his header was blocked on the line by Pyatov.
In complete contrast to the opening half, the visitors were starved of the ball for long spells after the restart. However, their counterattacking threat still had to be respected, as shown when Willian slotted inches wide after a flowing more started in their own half.

Juve was straight back down the pitch though, and substitute Sebastian Giovinco, seconds after his introduction, raced free down the left and teed up Matri who, from point blank range, botched his finish and bundled over the bar.

But Shakhtar still fancied its chances to win the game. Gianluigi Buffon was called into his first meaningful action of the match when parrying away Darijo Srna’s free kick, moments before Mkhitaryan sidefooted agonizingly off target after latching onto Luiz Adriano’s feed.Willian then saw another effort go just off target with eight minutes to go, lashing a loose ball just the wrong side of the post from a good position on the edge of the area.

The Brazilian then had a glorious chance to win it at the death, but rattled the crossbar from 10 yards out as the sides ended the match knotted at a goal apiece, leaving both sides with ground to make up on group leader Chelsea.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Puyol suffers devastating arm injury

Barcelona captain Carles Puyol left Wednesday's 2-0 Champions League win over Benfica with a dislocated left elbow that will keep the defender out of this weekend's Clasico against Real Madrid.

In the 77th minute, Puyol took a fall and landed awkwardly on his arm. He was stretchered off the pitch after players from both teams called to the Barcelona sideline for immediate assistance.


Puyol was taken to the hospital in Lisbon and his return is unknown.

The loss of Puyol for extended time would be a major blow to Barcelona's back line, which is already without Gerard Pique due to a foot injury.

Barcelona remains perfect through two Champions League games after cruising past the Portuguese side in matchday two. The club meets rival Real Madrid in La Liga play on Sunday.