..::Football II::..

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Rooney lauds England teammate Hart as the best goalkeeper in the world

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has hailed Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart as the best in the world after a fantastic display against Borussia Dortmund helped his side rescue a point.

Billed before the game as a "must-win" encounter by manager Roberto Mancini, the Citizens managed to walk away with a point after a last-gasp penalty from Mario Balotelli leveled the scores. However, they had their keeper to thank for a string of fine saves, and Rooney believes there was only one reason why the game was not out of sight by that point.

"Have to say Joe Hart has been incredible. For me best keeper in the world," Rooney tweeted.

After losing its first group game 3-2 away from home against Real Madrid, picking up a positive result was required to keep the team in touching distance of both the Spanish champion and Jurgen Klopp's side, and Mancini was equally as effusive in his praise of the goalkeeper's performance.

"Joe Hart saved us from an incredible defeat," Mancini told reporters. "He saved everything, so I should say thank you to him. He gave a fantastic performance. I don't know if it is the best performance in football history, but he did very well."

Manchester City currently sits third in the group now on just the one point from its opening two games, behind both Real Madrid on six and Borussia Dortmund on four, but it now faces Dutch outfit Ajax in its next two fixtures.

 

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Mexico names squad for World Cup Qualifiers against Guyana and El Salvador

Mexico head coach Jose Manuel de la Torre has named his 22-man squad to face Guyana and El Salvador in CONCACAF region qualifying for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Captain Rafael Marquez is unavailable due to a hamstring strain, but a pair of 22-year-old midfielders, Pachuca's Hector Herrera and León's Carlos Peña, could pick up their first caps.

Mexico is currently top of Group B in the third round of FIFA World Cup qualifying, having taken maximum points from its four matches so far.

The match against Guyana will be played on Oct. 12 in Houston, Texas, and on Oct. 16, El Tri will host El Salvador in Torreon, Coahuila.

Full Roster

Goalkeeper: Guillermo Ochoa (AC Ajaccio), Alfredo Talavera (Toluca).

Defense: Severo Meza (Monterrey), Israel Jiménez y Jorge Torres (Tigres), Francisco Rodríguez (Stuttgart), Diego Reyes (América), Héctor Moreno (Espanyol), Hiram Mier (Monterrey), Adrián Aldrete (América).

Midfield: Elías Hernández (Tigres), Javier Aquino and Gerardo Torrado (Cruz Azul), Carlos Peña (León), Jorge Enríquez (Chivas), Héctor Herrera (Pachuca), Andrés Guardado (Valencia), Ángel Reyna (Monterrey).

Attack: Oribe Peralta (Santos Laguna), Antonio 'Sinha' Naelson (Toluca), Javier 'Chicharito' Hernández (Manchester United), Aldo de Nigris (Monterrey).

 

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Liverpool 2-3 Udinese: Late Suarez stunner not enough as Reds throw lead away

Liverpool was undone by a masterclass in counterattacking football by Udinese as the English club slumped to a 3-2 defeat in a match that it dominated for long spells in the Europa League group stage clash at Anfield.

The hosts took the lead in the first half that they largely outplayed their illisutrious visitors during, with Jonjo Shelvey nodding home inside the box after a decent ball back into the box by Stewart Downing.

Udinese came out of the traps a different side in the second half, though and the team equalized just 32 seconds after the break through a delightful curled finish from Antonio Di Natale.

The Italian squad continued its comeback with two goals in quick succession through a Sebastian Coates own goal and a crisply hit strike from outside the box by Giovanni Pasquale before Luis Suarez grabbed one back shortly after with a marvellous free-kick.

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers rang the changes for the fixture, drafting in eight players that didn't start the 5-2 away win over Norwich over the weekend. Jamie Carragher, Jack Robinson and Sebastian Coates came in for Andre Wisdom, Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel at the back.

In midfield, Shelvey and Jordan Henderson were brought in for Steven Gerrard and Nuri Sahin, while he named a completely changed front three, with Fabio Borini, Oussame Assaidi and Downing handed starts.

Udinese coach Franceso Guidolin had a full-strength side to choose from as they bid to put their slow start to the new league season behind them, with star striker Di Natale restored to the starting lineup after being dropped for their clash at the weekend against Genoa.

With Liverpool dominating possession in the initial stages, the first clear-cut chance of the half came until the seventh minute when Coates went close with a point-blank header from a corner only to see Zeljko Brkic pull out a good low stop.

Udinese went close to taking the lead in the 13th minute but were denied but a magnificent save by Pepe Reina, who got down low to his right to keep out a firm Mehdi Benatia header from a Di Natale free kick wide on the right.

With the game beginning to open up, Borini went close moments later after wriggling clear of two Udinese defenders before firing just wide of the bottom right-hand post.

But Udinese didn't have to wait too much longer to take the lead, though, when after a prolonged spell of patient possession, Shelvey sprayed the ball out to the right wing to Downing, who delivered an inch-perfect cross for the midfielder to run onto and nod home into the bottom left-hand corner from eight yards out in the 22nd minute.

The hosts were beginning to knock the ball around with confidence and almost doubled their tally through a Henderson header after a lovely flowing move, with Udinese reduced to hitting on the break with only a speculative but decent strike from Di Natale to show for its efforts and Liverpool went in at the break ahead.

However, after a lackluster first half, an incisive move saw winger Andrea Lazzari arrow a low cross in for Di Natale to take first time with the ball rolling across his body, arching his curled effort brilliantly into the top right-hand corner past the despairing Reina to grab an equalizer in the first minute of the second half.

With both sides struggling to keep hold of the ball and canceling eachother out, it took a double substitution from Rodgers, bringing on both Suarez and Steven Gerrard to bring his side back to life.

After Downing burst down the right, Giampiero Pinzi's absurd rugby tackle led to Suarez going close with a chance from the resulting free kick, only to see his sweetly struck effort cleared off the line unwittingly by Shelvey trying to poke the ball home at the back post.

They were made to pay for that miss moments later, though, when Coates nodded into his own net under pressure from Maurizio Domizzi after a dangerous free kick from Lazzari into the box in the 70th minute.

Liverpool now needing a goal to get back into a game that they were comfortable in for large periods, it was caught on the break when Di Natale, who was instrumental throughout, brought down a long putn forward brilliantly in the 73rd minute before laying the ball off to Pasquale to drive into the bottom right corner from outside the box to complete a dramatic turnaround.

This seemed to bring the hosts back to life and Suarez stepped up to strike a fantastic free kick into the top-left corner from just outside the area in the 75th minute to keep the match alive.

They should have drawn level moments later when Suarez was denied by a Brkic save after a fabulous cross from Downing on the right, with the Uruguayan aiming his free header right at the goalkeeper before the Udinese defence scrambled the ball away.

With Udinese standing off more and more and inviting the hosts late pressure, Suarez went close and substitute Raheem Sterling twice nearly guided efforts into the top corner as Liverpool flooded forward in the pursuit of a dramatic late equaliser.

The final chance of the game fell to the lively Downing, but his drive was straight at Brkic and Udinese held on to clinch a real snatch and grab victory while for Liverpool, it was yet another in a long line of results which simply didn't match up to its impressive performance.

 

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Newcastle 3-0 Bordeaux: Ameobi and Cisse fire hosts to top of Group D

Newcastle secured its first win in the Europa League group stage with a comfortable 3-0 victory over a toothless Bordeaux team.

The Magpies took the lead just after the first 15 minutes, Shola Ameobi tapping in from Gabriel Obertan’s hard work before - with halftime looming - Les Girondins center back Henrique doubled the opposition’s advantage by turning the ball into his own net.

The second half began with a third goal, this time from Papiss Cisse, leaving the result all but confirmed.The three points allow Newcastle to boost up to four points in Group D with two Club Brugge ties on the horizon, while Bordeaux stays rooted on three points after its first competitive defeat since April 8 - a run of 18 matches.

On 16 minutes, Gabriel Obertan started to steal the show, delicately bringing the ball down on the left, charging into the box and squaring across the face of goal for stand-in captain Shola Ameobi to give the hosts the lead with a tap-in from one yard.

The Tyneside club made the mistake of dropping deep to protect the lead immediately afterwards and, as a result, had to head clear a barrage of crosses and block countless shots.
However, with five minutes until halftime, Henrique flung himself at right back Danny Simpson’s cross, turning it past his own goalkeeper Cedric Carrasso to compound the visitors’ misery.

The second half began similarly, despite the Ligue 1 club’s coach Francis Gillot making a double change. Papiss Cisse scored his second strike in three Newcastle matches, heading in Shane Ferguson’s cross although there was more than just a hint of offside about the goal.
Pardew brought on Gael Bigirimana and Dan Gosling to ensure his team's midfield became more defensive-minded and mobile while Les Girondins pressed on to try and salvage some pride.

But the Newcastle back-four remained impressive throughout and kept their second clean
sheet in as many Europa League home matches this season, and their third out of four altogether.

Substitute goalkeeper Steve Harper - brought on at halftime after Rob Elliot had supposedly picked up a knock - had to stretch his legs to deny an unmarked Jussie a goal as the Magpies sat back and soaked up the Bordeaux dominance without a problem.

 

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Panathinaikos 1-1 Tottenham: Dawson opener canceled out as Spurs remain winless in Group J

Michael Dawson's first-half goal was not enough for Tottenham on Thursday night as Toche's strike capped a late Panathinaikos rally and ensured both sides left with a 1-1 draw and a point apiece in Group J of the Europa League.

Andre Villas-Boas' side was superior for the majority of the game, without ever reaching top gear and looked to have the game sewn up after Dawson nodded a Tom Huddlestone free kick past Orestis Karnezis. But the hosts awoke from their slumber and Toche slid home an equalizer after a sublime pass from Giourkas Seitaridis, leaving Spurs with two points from their opening two games.

Tottenham saw a claim for a penalty denied inside the first few minutes as Steven Caulker's downward header appeared to hit an arm but referee Florian Meyer deemed it accidental despite the away team's protestations.

In a largely empty Olympic Stadium, Tottenham looked to control the opening stages by retaining possession and probing the Panathinaikos defense for openings.

But it was the hosts who created the first notable opportunity as Stergos Marinos sent a rangy diagonal pass to the overlapping Seitaridis on the right side. The fullback found his way behind the Spurs defense and sent a dangerous cross in towards the lone frontman Toche but Hugo Lloris, given a start ahead of Brad Friedel, kept his concentration to claim the cross.

Aside from a later dropped cross by Lloris, that was as close as the hosts came to threatening the Tottenham goal as the Premier League side made its territorial dominance count.

Though the passing in midfield was at times sloppy, Aaron Lennon and Gareth Bale tested Orestis Karnezis with 20-yard shots, while Jermain Defoe fired a cross-cum-shot from the left that was unfortunate to elude the onrushing Clint Dempsey.

Yet, with 10 minutes until halftime Tottenham took the lead. Dawson, who was recalled and made captain for the night, marked the occasion by beating his marker at the near post to flick Huddlestone's inswinging free kick into the far corner.

Huddlestone, who was also given a rare start by Villas-Boas, almost closed the opening 45 with a fine half-volley from Defoe's layoff, only ruing Karnezis' alert diving stop.

Though it was a half of few chances, Spurs made their dominance count against a flat and insipid Panathinaikos and Jesualdo Ferreira understandably changed things at halftime, introducing Ibrahim Sissoko for Marinos.

The hosts looked more vibrant in the opening stages of the second half and certainly gave their vocal support a worthy dose of effort, but they were nearly two down on the 55th minute. Defoe latched onto a well-weighted through ball but although his first and second touches propeled him clear of the Panathinaikos defense, his third was a wild, blazed effort over the crossbar.

At the other end Quincy Owusu-Abeyie – a former Arsenal forward – looked the likeliest source of an equalizer and indeed, his clipped through ball to Lazaros Christodoulopoulos saw his teammate head against the post from six yards, albeit with the linesman's flag raised.

Tottenham was certainly not at its maximum and although Defoe saw a deflected effort from the edge of the box fizz just wide of goal, Panathinaikos pulled level with 14 minutes to play.

Greece international Seitaridis had pushed up into the Spurs half and with both Tottenham center backs too square, fed a lovely curved pass outside Caulker to Toche who had broken clear of Dawson. His first-time finish was steered just past Lloris and in off the far post, pulling the hosts level.

Villas-Boas, understandably frustrated, scampered up and down the touchline barking orders to his side as they looked to regain the lead but in truth, the mentality of the game had changed with the Greek side's equalizer.

A flurry of activity in the box in the final stages almost saw Ferreira's team snatch a late winner as substitute Charalampos Mavrias volleyed at goal but some stout defending saw Tottenham avert danger.

As the final whistle blew and the two former Porto coaches embraced, Villas-Boas' smile hid genuine disappointment. This was a game Spurs will view as two points dropped, particularly given the mediocre nature of their hosts' play. With just two points from six, the north Londoners will need to take a maximum haul against Maribor in their next two Europa League games.

 

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Pienaar: Everton must wait 10 games before judging start

Everton midfielder Steven Pienaar insists that his side cannot judge the success of its start to the new Premier League campaign until 10 games in.

The notoriously slow-starting Toffees currently sit third in the English top flight following four wins, one draw and a solitary defeat in their opening six fixtures. Pienaar believes that the Merseyside outfit has not achieved anything yet, though, and must continue working to stay ahead of their rivals.

"We are not there yet. After 10 games we can say how well we have done," Pienaar told the Liverpool Daily Post. "At the moment we are still working towards a good start so we must wait and see. It's a good feeling for the guys. We have been working really hard and it's important to get the points to make sure we break away from the other teams below us. But there's still a long way to go."

The 30-year-old South African also hailed the quality among manager David Moyes' squad and claimed that the club can go on to qualify for Europe this year.

"[The start] hasn't exceeded my expectations," Pienaar said. "The manager asked for us to start the season well and, to be honest, the way we ended last season, it's no wonder we've carried that form on. I said when I rejoined Everton that with the quality we have and because the team has been together for a few years, I think it is time for us to achieve something. Finishing in the top five or top six is something we have to push ourselves to deliver. We have to push the bar that bit higher."

Pienaar was particularly effusive in his praise of teammate Marouane Fellaini, who has enjoyed a blistering start to the season, including scoring the winning goal in a 1-0 win over Manchester United.

 

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Neftchi 1-3 Inter: Nerazzurri ease past 500-goal landmark in Europe

Inter Milan encountered smooth sailing during its trip to Azerbaijan on Thursday, registering a routine 3-1 victory over Neftchi Baku in Group H of the UEFA Europa League.

Goals from Philippe Coutinho, Joel Obi and Marko Livaja, all of which were set up by Fredy Guarin, fired the Nerazzurri to a comfortable three points on their travels despite Nicolas Canales' second-half reply, but the scoreline arguably did not tell the story of the dominance exhibited by the visitors.

From the first whistle, Andrea Stramaccioni's young side was in control of the proceedings and was happy to adopt a patient build-up style until Fredy Guarin's quick burst of pace saw him break the offside trap and allow Coutinho to flick home in the 10th minute. Guarin was at it again 20 minutes later, racing towards the Neftchi box, and his drilled cross was aptly finished by Obi. The strike marked Inter's 500th goal in Europe.

With just three minutes of the first half remaining, Guarin capped off a fine period of play, using his vision to thread through a defense-splitting pass for Livaja to get his head on before finishing.

They hosts appeared to return to the pitch with renewed vigor after halftime, as Mahir Shukurov charged into the Inter box and forced Handanovic into a stop, before Julius Wobar took on Matias Silvestre and saw his low cross fall into the path of Canales at the far post.

Unfortunately for Neftchi, the hosts failed to follow that up with any more tallies, as the match faded into a scrappy affair. For Inter, the group favorite moves level with Rubin Kazan at the top of the four-team table, and Neftchi falls to the bottom.

 

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Mourinho backs Mancini to bring out the best in Balotelli

Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho has spoken fondly of his time coaching Mario Balotelli at Inter, labelling the mercurial Manchester City youngster a "funny kid."

The Portuguese coach endured a fractious relationship with the striker during his time in Italy and often argued with the Italian international over his off-field behavior. Mourinho has moved to play down any suggestions of a rift between himself and Balotelli, though, insisting that he found the player amusing.

"I could write a book of 200 pages of my two years at Inter with Mario, but the book would be not a drama, the book would be a comedy, because he is funny, he's a funny kid," Mourinho told CNN. Mourinho went on to suggest that City boss Roberto Mancini is the perfect mentor for the young striker, as his long relationship with Balotelli makes him ideally suited to get the best out of him.

Mourinho himself warned the 22-year-old Balotelli that if he fails under the Italian boss, then he is unlikely to ever reach his full potential as a player.

"Mancini was his first coach as a professional, so before me,"Mourinho said. "So for sure the same feeling I have, Mancini has probably even more than Mario. You know, Mario was 18 with Mancini at Inter and he was 20 with me. Now, he should be 22, so the natural tendency is that he grows up and becomes the player that the talent he has.

"I've no contact with Mario in this moment, but I hope so. I hope so, and Roberto knows him well, speaks the same language, knows him since he was a kid, so if he doesn't do it with Roberto, it will be difficult to do with another one, but I hope so because he's a talent."

 

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Rosell: Barcelona is world's most transparent club

Barcelona president Sandro Rosell has described the Camp Nou outfit as "the world's most transparent club", and hailed the Liga giant's commitment to its 'more than a club' motto.

The Blaugrana are the subject of a new book which profiles the club's connections to its Catalan cultural and political roots, issues which have recently come to the fore once again, as talk of independence surfaces in the region.

Speaking at the launch of the publication on Thursday, Rosell praised four-time European champions' continuing efforts to make the stories behind the club more accessible.

“Barca is more than a club and will be for its entire history,” he told reporters.

“At Barca you know everything, we are probably the world’s most transparent club. Lluis Lainz [author of this book] has helped make this so, explaining the stories that have taken place behind closed doors.”

Barcelona faces Spanish champion Real Madrid in the first Clasico of the new Liga season on Sunday.

 

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Arsenal defender Vermaelen: First half against Olympiakos was a struggle

Arsenal center back Thomas Vermaelen admits that the first half of the English club's 3-1 win against Olympiakos was "a struggle", but heralded the importance of taking six points from the opening two Champions League games.

Goals from Gervinho, Lukas Podolski and an injury-time effort from Aaron Ramsey sealed the win for the Gunners, but the score was even at halftime following Konstantinos Mitroglou's goal in first-half stoppage time.

"Yeah, I think in the first half [was a struggle]," Vermaelen told Sky Sports. "The second half was better, but in the first half we were a little bit sloppy in the passing, we lost a lot of balls. We started well, but the first half was not great."

Vermaelen insisted that the result had nothing to do with dented confidence after last weekend's defeat to Chelsea, and also stated that assistant manager Steve Bould, standing in for suspended boss Arsene Wenger, was not angry, but just explained where the team was going wrong.

"We started well, a high tempo - that was great, but afterwards we dropped a little. I don't think it was because of the weekend but sometimes that can happen," Vermaelen told the TV network.

"[Bould] wasn't angry. It's not always good to be angry. He said things we did wrong, or that we could do better, and in the second half we were a lot better I think. 'Be more cautious on the ball, don't lose too many balls,' that's what [Bould] said."

Vermaelen also heralded the confidence that winning their first two Champions League games brings, and stated that he was happy for Gervinho, who has been in good form so far this season.

"It gives us a lot of confidence, getting six out of six [points]. That's really important," he said.

"I think the most important thing is to win your home games in the Champions League, and we won an away game at Montpellier so we want to keep it going.

"[Gervinho] is doing great. He had a great preseason as well. And now you can see in the matches, he's scoring a lot of goals, he's quick, he's quite busy, so I'm happy for him."

 

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Galliani no longer talking to Ibrahimovic

AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani has revealed that he no longer speaks to Zlatan Ibrahimovic after the attacker left the club for Paris Saint-Germain in the summer.

The 68-year-old spoke of the big Swede's fury at being told that he had to leave Italy for the French capital and admitted that this caused a rift in their relationship.

"I'm no longer talking to him," he explained to Sky Sports Italia.

"It is his birthday today and I sent good wishes to PSG, because we’re no longer talking."

Galliani also asked the Milan fans to be patient with Massimiliano Allegri's side after a disappointing start to the campaign.

"We are a young side and have changed a great deal over the summer, so we ask for a little patience from the fans. We’re sure that this team will soon get back to its old glorious self."

The 68-year old also thanked club president Silvio Berlusconi for his words of support after he dismissed reports that Galliani would be sacked.

"I am very happy with the words of President Berlusconi, but I never had doubts. There was never the chance of certain changes."

 

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Llorente open to January move to Juventus

The agent of Athletic Bilbao's Fernando Llorente's has made clear that his client is keen on signing for Juventus in the upcoming transfer window.

The Spain international was involved in a heated debate with coach Marcelo Bielsa on Monday and was sent to the changing rooms early and expelled from training.

Llorente was on the verge of signing for Serie A champions Juventus, but the move fell through as the Old Lady were unwilling to meet Bilbao's valuation of the player.

"In the summer he wanted to join Juventus but Athletic Bilbao did not want to sell him for less than his release clause," the agent of the striker explained to Corriere dello Sport.

"Italy in January? Why not? It is a great championship and Fernando would like to play there. Juventus are a great team, but so are Inter, AC Milan, Manchester City and so on. We will see what happens."

Juventus general director Guiseppe Marotta has admitted the forward would be the type of player that the Old Lady would be interested in signing.

"I think he is a top player that every year, regardless of our budget, we try to pursue," Marotta said.

"With regard to the team, it is clear that [Antonio] Conte relies on certain tactical concepts, as well as a number of very versatile players, and Llorente fits this profile."

 

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Moutinho set to stay with Porto

Porto playmaker Joao Moutinho has committed his long-term future to the club, amid rumors that Tottenham boss Andre Villas-Boas is set to return for his services come January.

After coming close to sealing a move to White Hart Lane on transfer deadline day in August, the former Sporting midfielder is set to reject any offer from north London, and is said to prefer a future in Portugal over any move elsewhere.

With Zenit St Petesburg also looking to acquire his signature after a costly summer of signings, it was thought that Moutinho could be on his way out of the Estadio do Dragao.

"I've made the decision to stay with Porto," Moutinho told reporters. "We believe in the value and quality we have here. I'm happy and what I want most is to win against PSG [in Wednesday's Champions League group game]."

Porto will be hoping to build on a positive start in the Champions League against PSG, after a 2-0 victory away at Dinamo Zagreb in its first game of Group A.​

 

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Porto 1-0 Paris Saint-Germain: James Rodriguez breaks through to earn deserved triumph

අපරාදේ මුන් වියදම් කරපු සල්ලි.

 

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Arsenal 3-1 Olympiakos: Gervinho, Podolski and Ramsey on target as Gunners make it two from two

Arsenal took another step towards the knockout stages of the Champions League as the Gunners maintained their perfect start to the competition with a stuttering 3-1 home victory over Olympiakos.

Lukas Podoslki and substitute Aaron Ramsey struck in the second half to brighten up a largely uninspiring display from Arsene Wenger’s side after it struggled to break down well organized opponents for much of the evening.

Not that the Frenchman will care after a result that leaves Arsenal with six points from its opening two Group B fixtures and on course for another comfortable qualification for the second round of Europe’s elite competition.

The hosts controlled possession but lacked attacking thrust for much of the game, taking the lead against the run of play through Gervinho in the 42nd minute before Konstantinos Mitroglou deservedly leveled for Olympiakos on the stroke of halftime.

Podolski eased nerves in the Emirates Stadium after firing home in the 56th minute and Ramsey sealed the three points with an impudent finish with the last kick of the game.

It was far from perfect, however. What will most concern Wenger will be the lackadaisical performance of a back four that had looked so assured early in the season following the promotion of Arsenal legend Steve Bould to assistant manager.

While Arsenal displayed their usual domination of possession in the early exchanges, the central defensive pair of Thomas Vermaelen and Laurent Koscielny was so casual they were virtually horizontal.

Mitroglou served a warning as his snapshot from the edge of the penalty area was saved by Vito Mannone before Paulo Machado missed a gift-wrapped chance, mishitting from inside the six-yard box after evading Arsenal defenders to meet Ioannis Maniatis’ cross.

Arsenal took a lead it barely deserved three minutes before the break through Gervinho. After excellent work from Santi Cazorla on the left, the ball broke for the Ivorian to shift into space and strike low into the corner from 20 yards for his fifth goal of the season.

The strike was met with relief all round from the home crowd but Olympiakos deservedly leveled on the stroke of halftime. Leandro Greco whipped in a wonderful cross from the left and Mitroglou was on hand to glance the ball into the far corner.

Arsene Wenger may not have been allowed in the dressing room at halftime due to a touchline ban but his anger with his side’s lack of attacking thrust would have been relayed to his players.

They responded after the break, especially through the twinkling toes of Cazorla and Gervinho as the latter began to torment the Olympiakos back four with his movement and trickery.

Cazorla wastefully shot wide from 12 yards before Podolski doubled the Gunners’ lead in the 56th minute, the German taking advantage of Olympiakos’ uncertain defending to swivel in the box and shoot low and hard through goalkeeper Balazs Megyeri’s legs.

Arsenal went hunting for a third. Koscielny headed over unmarked before substitutes Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud combined for the Frenchman to volley straight at Megyeri.

In the dying seconds, substitute Ramsey raced on to Giroud's flick-on and scooped a delightful finish over the goalkeeper and into the back of the net.

Olympiakos still showed enough to prove it will not be the whipping boy and Arsenal faces a difficult return fixture, but the Gunners cruised home in the closing stages to complete the victory.

Podolski පට්ට

 

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Aguero: Messi laughs when he remembers that I did not know who he was

Sergio Aguero has revealed that he still laughs with Barcelona star Lionel Messi after not recognizing him at the 2005 Under-20 World Cup in Netherlands.

The Argentina teammates were ultimately victorious at the tournament, beating Nigeria 2-1 in the final.

"We were talking about shoes, and then he said something," the Premier League striker told DirectTV Sports. "He said his name was Lionel, and I asked, what about the surname? "He said 'Messi', and then repeated, 'Messi'. I still did not know who he was. Then I read that there was a Messi who was emerging in the team."

Aguero went on to admit that the story later became the source of many jokes amongst the pair's peers.

"Messi cried with laughter and still cries with laughter when he recalls it," said the 24-year-old, who shared a room with the future World Player of the Year at the tournament. "I was 17. Then it was cool between us."

 

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Sir Alex Ferguson hints at Smalling return versus Newcastle

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed that Chris Smalling could make his first appearance of the season against Newcastle United on Sunday.


The center back has been out since breaking his foot in preseason, but has participated in full training over the past couple of weeks and could even feature in the Red Devils' trip to the Sports Direct Arena this weekend.

With Phil Jones and captain Nemanja Vidic still sidelined, Sir Alex is pleased to be welcoming Smalling back into the fold.

"Smalling has a chance to come back - Jones and Vidic, obviously not," Sir Alex told Sky Sports. "Ashley Young will start training while the internationals are on, particularly in the second week.

"At a stretch Young could maybe make the game against Stoke but, certainly Smalling, he will have done enough training on the football side [for this weekend]. Particularly as we have had a problem with centre-backs, that is a blessing for us."

 

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Mancini fully aware of Adam Johnson's threat ahead of Sunderland clash

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini is fully aware of the threat Adam Johnson possesses, as he prepares to welcome the winger back to the Etihad Stadium for the first time since his move to Sunderland.

The 25-year-old grew frustrated at a lack of first team opportunities under the Italian’s stewardship, prompting him to depart for the Stadium of Light in August.
"I think Adam played well here," Mancini told reporters. "The problem was maybe that he didn't play always. For young players like him it is important to play every game."

"I am sure he will do well for Sunderland and go to another top team because he deserves this. He is a good guy and a good player. I hope he can have a good game on Saturday because I like Adam, I think he is a really good player."

Mancini wants his players to be fully focused on the task in hand, after Sunderland became the only team to take four points off the Premier League champion last season.
"Last year Sunderland took four points against us and it is important we know this will be a tough game. It is very difficult because every time Sunderland play against us they play a fantastic game."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Wenger delighted with Gervinho's impact up front

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has expressed his delight at Gervinho’s recent form following the attacker's impressive start to the campaign.


With Wenger employing him in a more central role, Gervinho has netted five goals from five shots on target this term for the Gunners, and is likely to continue in his new position against West Ham this weekend.


The Frenchman is pleased with the Ivory Coast international’s impact, but admits he maybe wasn't an obvious choice to play as the team's focal point before the season begun.

"The thinking this season was to use his quality of movement and his pace," Wenger told Sky Sports. "Of course you have to overcome a little bit of an obstacle that he doesn't correspond well to the traditional image you have of a central striker."

"Gervinho has other qualities that are well suited to our game, our game is based on movement and technical ability and him and Theo Walcott both have that."

Gervinho's purple patch has come as a surprise to many around the Emirates Stadium following a debut season which saw him score just four Premier League goals.

"He is not massive, is not a guy who will go for high balls, but he can only try and I must say, he has improved his finishing and it is working very well at the moment."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Ancelotti: Mourinho will have to wait if he wants to become Paris Saint-Germain coach

Carlo Ancelotti has warned Jose Mourinho that he will have to wait a long time before taking control of Paris Saint-Germain as the Italian plans on being the coach of the Ligue 1 club for a long time to come.

The 53-year-old made the comments to French daily Le Parisien after being asked about his future at the Parc des Princes. “Here in Paris there is a good feeling with all – the players, the fans, the club,” he said.


The comments come not long after Mourinho’s own about his future someday laying away from the Bernabeu, as he speculated that he will in the future coach in a country that he has not coached in before.

“I think being the champions in another country is a motivation for me. I was a champion in four countries, so why not a fifth?” said the 49-year-old.

But the former Chelsea boss was careful not to link himself with the job at this current moment as he paid respect to the job that is currently being done by Ancelotti.

“Currently the PSG project is in the hands of quality people like Carlo Ancelotti and Leonardo. So, at this time the PSG don’t need another coach,” he concluded.