..::Football II::..

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Fiorentina 1-1 Napoli: Cavani cancels out Roncaglia wonder goal

Second-placed Napoli missed the chance to open up a gap between itself and its Serie A rivals after playing out a 1-1 draw with Fiorentina at the Artemio Franchi on Sunday.

Facundo Roncaglia put the Viola in the driver's seat with a spectacular opening goal midway through the first half, but Edinson Cavani found the back of the net for the 100th time in the Italian top flight just before halftime to extend the hosts' winless run to four matches.

The Viola took the lead on 33 minutes in astonishing circumstances when Roncaglia, in the center circle, clipped a ball forward from his own half that inexplicably looped over goalkeeper Morgan De Sanctis and two Napoli defenders.

Nine minutes later, Marek Hamsik sent a flighted free kick into the box, and Cavani was on hand to glance the Slovak's attempt past Neto for his landmark tally, extending his lead for the Serie A golden boot. It was a welcome contribution from the Uruguayan, who was quiet for most part.

De Sanctis then came close to making his second howler of the afternoon as another loose ball near his goal was poorly managed by the Italy goalkeeper, but he eventually smothered the danger in a crowded box.

On the cusp of halftime, the Viola came close to retaking their lead. Juan Cuadrado, a constant thorn down the right flank, overlapped Juan Zuniga and drilled a cross into the box, but Luca Toni, despite his cavalier movement, struck over the bar.

On the hour mark, both goalkeepers were forced to stay on their toes. Hugo Campagnaro slipped through Cavani, who saw his finish saved by Brazilian shot-stopper Neto at his near post, before Alberto Aquilani saw a mirror image denied.

Neto arguably saved Fiorentina a point with less than 10 minutes to go when he produced a fine stop to claw away Miguel Britos' header. Stevan Jovetic then could have volleyed his side toward victory in stoppage time, but his effort whistled just wide.

The Tuscans continued to apply the pressure in the latter stages, and they seemed to have found the winner when Cuadrado cut the ball back for Aquilani, who was unmarked on the edge of the box, but the midfielder struck over the bar.

The result leaves Napoli tied with Lazio but still one place shy of leaders Juventus in the Serie A standings. Fiorentina, however, is now without a win in three league games and fell seven points off the pace in the race for a Champions League spot.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Roncaglia ge maru Goal 1ka nedaD

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Wenger fumes over penalty award in Chelsea defeat

Arsene Wenger has expressed his unhappiness with the decision to award Chelsea a penalty in the Gunners' 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge.

Referee Martin Atkinson pointed to the spot after Wojciech Szczesny challenged Ramires in the area, but replays showed that the Blues midfielder may have deliberately stuck out his leg in order to trip over the goalkeeper.

Frank Lampard’s converted spot kick ultimately proved decisive after Theo Walcott halved the deficit in the second half.

"I don't think it was a clear penalty. I think it was no penalty," the Arsenal manager told Sky Sports. "[The referee] could have given Ramires a yellow card. I didn't see it well from the bench but I've been told by people that have seen it on television that it is no penalty.

"If it's no penalty, it is no penalty. It's either a dive or the player has had to go down not to make contact. I don't know – all I've heard is that it doesn't look like a penalty on television."

 

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Ramires admits impeding Coquelin in the build to Chelsea's first goal against Arsenal

Ramires has admitted he fouled Francis Coquelin in the build-up to Chelsea’s first goal in the club's 2-1 win over Arsenal on Sunday afternoon.

The Brazil international caught the Gunners midfielder before Cesar Azpilicueta set up Juan Mata’s fine early strike.

Chelsea fought off a vastly-improved Arsenal side after the break to hold out for the win, and afterwards Ramires admitted he committed the foul but was glad to see his side get all three points.

“Yeah, it was a foul,” he told Sky Sports. “[But] the win has much importance for us. In the last three games we had one win, one loss and a draw so it was important for us to win today.”

Frank Lampard’s penalty followed Mata’s opener, and the Spain midfielder knows how vital it was for the Blues to see out the victory.

“Today was very important to us in two different ways,” he said. “The first one was to keep going and try to reduce the gap to Manchester United and Manchester City, also to play well for our supporters who were a bit nervous after recent games, so we’re happy to have done that today.

“It was important to score in the opening minutes and to play more relaxed once we were winning. In the first half we played really well, creating chances and scored two goals. In the second half we suffered a bit but Arsenal do have top players.”

 

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Sunderland boss O'Neill looking for new strikers

Sunderland boss Martin O'Neill has refused to name any specific targets in the January transfer window, but suggests the club has "several irons in the fire" to bolster its forward line and ensure Premier League survival.

The Black Cats have struggled for results this season, but four wins from their last eight games - including a 1-0 home victory over champions Manchester City - have taken them to 11th position in the table, nine points above the relegation zone.

Steven Fletcher has been in fine form for the club since his summer arrival from Wolves, but O'Neill is looking for further options up front in order to drive the club onwards.

"I don’t want to talk about individuals at other clubs - that's not my remit," O'Neill told The Shields Gazette. "But what I would say is that at this stage we do have several irons in the fire when it comes to reinforcing ourselves up front. We are looking at a variety of players, not just the one."

O'Neill admits the festive period has been a hectic one for the club, but he is looking forward to a rare break next weekend in order to give his squad a rest and concentrate on bringing in new signings.

"It has been a busy time for us with a lot of games, as well as the [transfer] window, but it will settle down a bit next week with no game to play and maybe then we can force one or two things along," O'Neill said.

"Players are leaving and need to be replaced in the squad. By the same token, we don't want to leave ourselves short at the end of the transfer window. We recalled [Ahmed] Elmohamady from Hull City this week for that reason - because we need more bodies. And we have to think twice about letting anyone go at the moment if we can't get replacements in.”

 

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Djibril Cisse leaves QPR on loan to Al Gharafa

QPR striker Djibril Cisse has joined Al Gharafa on loan until the end of the season.

The Frenchman had scored four goals in 21 appearances for the Rs in 2012-13 but was deemed a surplus to new manager Harry Redknapp's requirements following the signing of Loic Remy from Marseille.

Remy scored his first goal for his new club in Saturday's 1-1 draw with West Ham, with Jay Bothroyd and Junior Hoilett edging Cisse out for a space on the bench.

The 31-year-old Cisse links up with former Portsmouth manager Alain Perrin, who is in charge of the Qatari side that just landed former PSG forward Nene as well.

Cisse has been a QPR player for less than a year, joining on Jan. 31 of last year, and he scored six goals for the Londoners in the second half of last season, including one in the dramatic Premier League finale against Manchester City.

 

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Robben 'surprised' by Guardiola's appointment at Bayern Munich

Arjen Robben said he was surprised at Pep Guardiola's decision to come to Bayern Munich, seeing it as something of a coup for the Bundesliga outfit.

Die Roten announced earlier this week that Guardiola would replace current coach Jupp Heynckes at the end of the season, ending speculation that the Spanish coach might head to the Premier League after his sabbatical.

The move caught many off guard, and Robben revealed that he was no exception when he spoke to reporters after Bayern's 2-0 win over Greuther Furth as the club's season resumed on Saturday.

"I was surprised, also because it happened really quickly," Robben said. "One day before he signed I read that he was looking forward to working in the Premier League. A day later he signed at Bayern. It was surprising but good."

Bayern currently leads the Bundesliga by nine points over second-placed Bayer Leverkusen, and several of Robben's teammates, such as defender Daniel van Buyten, have stressed the team needs to avoid being distracted by the news.

"We are proud, because he [Guardiola] is one of the best, maybe the best coach and he chose the best club," van Buyten said. "But this is in the future. Now we want to deliver a good second half of the season. We do not want to speak a lot about the future.''

 

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Liverpool needs two or three more signings, says Gerrard

Steven Gerrard believes Liverpool can compete with any team in the Premier League under new manager Brendan Rodgers, but he has stressed that the club needs to acquire two or three new signings to help find consistency.

Gerrard's comments came on the back of a handsome 5-0 drubbing of Norwich at Anfield on Saturday, when the Reds looked in fine form as new 12 million pound signing Daniel Sturridge was among the goalscorers. Sturridge has three goals in three matches since his move from Chelsea, but Gerrard feels the team needs even more if it is to challenge for titles.

"In general, I like the ­direction the club is going in, but the harsh reality is that we still need two or three big players who can help," Gerrard told The Mirror. "We were short before the last ­deadline, and I think we struggled to find consistency ­because of that."

Liverpool took time earlier in the season to adapt to Rodgers' ideas and style of play, but six wins in its last 10 outings have improved the club's outlook considerably, with Gerrard looking to learn from archrivals Manchester United.

"I like the new manager’s philosophy. I like his style of play. The gap between us and, say, Manchester United is now ­severe, but I ­believe that, on our day we can beat any team in the league," Gerrard said. "What we need to find is that ­consistency. We can actually learn from ­United. There are games when they don’t play well and they still find a way to win. When we don’t play well, we don’t win. We need to find a way to win games when we’re not really at our top level."

With further signings possible, Liverpool takes on Arsenal away next in the Premier League, after an FA Cup fourth-round tie at Oldham.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Sneijder samaharawita Liverpool join wei

 

[මුගටියා]

Sneijder samaharawita Liverpool join wei

mama hithanne Galatasaray yai wage

 

[Wolverine GTR]

mama hithanne Galatasaray yai wage

Ow bro Terms accept karala kiyalath kiyanawa

 

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Valencia 0-5 Real Madrid: Blancos produce flawless display to obliterate Valencia

Real Madrid was in imperious form as it brushed aside a lackluster Valencia side to charge to an extremely impressive 5-0 win at Mestalla.

Following Barcelona's defeat on Saturday, Jose Mourinho's side took the chance to close the gap emphatically as five first-half goals saw the club breeze past los Che.

Gonzalo Higuain opened the scoring in the ninth minute before Angel Di Maria and Cristiano Ronaldo widened the gap with two goals in quick succession.

Another two strikes in four minutes before the break, Ronaldo adding his second before Di Maria matched him, secured all three points in a dominant display.

Valencia started the game brightly but it was to Madrid that the first chance fell, and it was one that really should have been put away. Alvaro Arbeloa's pinpoint cross picked out Higuain, but the Argentine failed to hit the target from 10 yards out after seven minutes.

But two minutes later Higuain did not make the same mistake, expertly firing the ball into the back of the net from Di Maria's cutback, finishing off a brilliant counterattack.

After a high-tempo start the game descended into a relatively scrappy affair in which neither side could develop a stranglehold on possession.

That all changed soon enough, though, as los Blancos bagged four more goals before the break in a flurry of action.

Firstly, Mesut Ozil set Ronaldo through on the left and the Portuguese turned Ricardo Costa inside-out before drilling the ball across the goalmouth for Di Maria to add a simple finish at the back post.

Two minutes later Madrid found the net again, but this time Ronaldo went it alone. There was little Victor Ruiz could do to stop the powerful forward from latching onto Fabio Coentrao's through ball, shifting the ball onto his left foot, and slamming an effort in at the near post.

Four minutes before the break Madrid grabbed its fourth as Di Maria's cross was laid off with an exquisite touch from Ozil and Ronaldo rifled in an emphatic cross-goal finish.

Yet there was still time for another and Ozil was again the creator, spotting Di Maria's surging forward run and picking him out, enabling the Argentine to slot comfortably past Alves when one-on-one.

A small number of fans made for the exit before the break but there were signs of life from Valencia in the second half.

Pablo Piatti rattled the bar with a quality left-foot shot that had the beating of Casillas before Adil Rami's header was cleared off the line by Coentrao in the 52nd minute.

Ernesto Valverde's men continued to create opportunities to save some face, but Tino Costa and Jonas were both unable to really worry the keeper with a pair of efforts each.

Thus Madrid was able to cruise for the rest of the game, safe in the knowledge that the team had cut the gap to league leader Barcelona to 15 points. Valencia will not have to wait long to try and gain revenge as the pair meet again in the Copa del Rey in midweek, though the home side will need to improve vastly.

 

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Roma 1-1 Inter: Palacio earns point but Nerazzurri lose ground in title race

Rodrigo Palacio's goal in first half stoppage time was enough for Inter to rescue a point against a wasteful Roma.

Francesco Totti's controversial penalty was all the home side had to show for its dominance and the supporters were again left to dwell on match where the club failed to hold onto a lead.

Despite securing a draw, Inter is now nine points behind Serie A leader Juventus in fourth while Roma sits seventh, a further six points behind.

Zdenek Zeman set his team up in his favorite 4-3-3 formation, and it was unsurprisingly on the attack early, with Pablo Osvaldo just failing to meet Erik Lamela's searching cross before Alessandro Florenzi fired over from the edge of the area.

After a frenetic opening, the match settled down until the 20th minute when Michael Bradley broke into the box and was adjudged to have been brought down by Andrea Ranocchia, though replays showed the contact between the two was minimal.

Talisman Totti stepped up and emphatically sent Samir Handanovic the wrong way from 12 yards to give the home side the lead.

The Giallorossi were dominant in all areas of the pitch, and Florenzi almost doubled their lead when he volleyed just wide after a cross was only cleared to the edge of the area.

Roma was by far the superior outfit and Lamela was the next to go close but his curling effort sailed just wide of the post while Fredy Guarin's powerful effort flew just over the bar at the other end.

Serie A debutant Marko Livaja had a quiet opening to his first start of the league season for the visitors, but he almost set the Stadio Olimpico alight with a half volley that struck the post with Mauro Goicoechea helpless before Osvaldo twice fired wide when well placed.

Andrea Stramaccioni's side finally had the bit between its teeth and grabbed an equalizer on the verge of halftime as Guarin powered his way to the line before laying the ball across for Palacio to tap in.

A superb through ball from Lamela set Osvaldo free early in the second period but his heavy touch allowed Handanovic to claim the ball at his feet, and the goalkeeper did well to deny Totti from the follow up.

Zeman's team continued its good start to the second half and Ivan Piris tested Handanovic from distance, but his shot was straight at the Slovenia international.

With the game entering the final 20 minutes, Livaja again went close to marking his first league start with a goal, only to pull his shot from the edge of the area wide with the aid of a deflection.

Right back Piris was providing a good outlet in attacking positions, but the defender wasted two good chances as he failed to hit the target on both occasions.

Roma continued the search for a winner and Lamela forced Handanovic into the best save of the match as he did well to parry a low effort round the post.

The home side continued to push for a winner but couldn't find the killer pass and was left to settle for a point.

 

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Sir Alex Ferguson blasts 'shocking' assistant referee after Man United draw with Tottenham

Sir Alex Ferguson has hit out at the assistant referee after Clint Dempsey’s stoppage-time equalizer meant Manchester United had to settle for a 1-1 draw against Tottenham.

The Red Devils had led through Robin van Persie’s header, but they were pegged back by the American’s late strike, meaning their lead over Manchester City at the top of the Premier League has been cut to five points this weekend.

Ferguson was furious with the performance of the referee’s assistant, Simon Beck, believing his side should have had a throw-in in the build-up to the goal and that Wayne Rooney deserved a second-half penalty.

The United boss even recalled how the particular assistant had cost United a key game against Chelsea back in 2010.

“I think we should have had a throw-in down our side of the pitch but that linesman never gave us a thing all day,” Ferguson said to Sky Sports. "For me, it was a poor performance by him. He never saw the penalty kick for Wayne Rooney and some other decisions too.

“We remember him well from his time at the Chelsea game when Didier Drogba was three yards offside and he gave onside. I think he had a shocking game today, and I’m disappointed in his performance, I really am. I think he has had a bad game and we never got anything from that side of the pitch. We got a bad break.”

The manager did lay some of the blame with his side for losing a late goal and for failing to take opportunities to seal the victory as they were unable to make the most of opportunities on the counter-attack.

“We were 1-0 up with a minute to go and looking comfortable at that stage,” Ferguson said. “Tottenham worked their socks off and you’ve got to give them credit for that and I suppose you can’t deny them their point because they worked ever so hard for it. They just kept pumping the ball into the box and got their rewards for that."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Matath hithenne Rooney ta set una tackle 1kata aniwa Penalty 1kak denna thibbba 1kak

 

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El Shaarawy: Playing alongside Kaka would be a dream come true

Stephan El Shaarawy hopes that Kaka's proposed move from Real Madrid to AC Milan this winter goes through as he is looking forward to playing alongside the attacking midfielder.

Milan CEO Adriano Galliani revealed last week that all parties involved are keen to make the transfer happen, but added that sacrifices are necessary if Kaka is indeed to return to the Serie A giants.

"I really hope that the deal for Kaka goes through. He was always my hero and playing alongside him would be a dream come true," El Shaarawy was quoted as saying on the official Milan website.

Meanwhile, players such as Giampaolo Pazzini and Mathieu Flamini are equally positive when it comes to Kaka's possible return to San Siro.

"We’re all very curious to see if Kaka will come. If he does he’ll be welcomed with open arms and he’ll help us out a lot," Pazzini stated.

"Ricky is a great champion and if he comes back, that’s a very positive thing for us," Flamini concluded.

Kaka joined Madrid from Milan in the summer of 2009, but has never really been able to live up to the high expectations.

 

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Varane: Madrid was spectacular against Valencia

Raphael Varane feels Real Madrid put in a spectacular performance in the opening 45 minutes of their 5-0 La Liga win over Valenciaon Sunday.

Both Cristiano Ronaldo and Angel Di Maria netted twice before the break after Gonzalo Higuain had opened the scoring for the Blancos, and Varane was over the moon with his side's first-half display.

"The team played very well, our first half was spectacular and we are happy with the win," Varane told reporters. "We always try to play that way, but things don’t always go how we want. On Sunday we were very good and safe at the back."

The Frenchman then went on to stress that Madrid have not given up on La Liga just yet, while adding that there are no internal problems.

"We have to go match by match and give our all. The league isn’t over until the end and we'll keep fighting," he stated. "Everything is good in the dressing room, there are no problems at all."

Madrid currently sits third in La Liga, trailing leaders Barcelona by 15 points.

 

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Xavi: It could be another historic year for Barcelona

Xavi believes that Barcelona has the potential to do well in all competitions and have another historic year.

The Catalans won six trophies in 2009 as they came out victorious in La Liga, Copa del Rey, Champions League, Club World Cup, Spanish Supercup and European Supercup, and Xavi is dreaming of another trophy-laden year.


"The team is very competitive and we want to do well in every competition. We’d like to win the lot but we have to watch our step," the influential midfielder told FIFA.com.

"The talent is there for sure [to have another historic year], but we need luck to be on our side too."

Xavi then discussed the upcoming Champions League tie against AC Milan, and stressed that the Serie A side will not be pushovers.

"They’re a tough side. They keep it tight at the back and they’ve always made life very hard for us defensively," he said.

"San Siro is not an easy place to go to either because the fans are very passionate. And if you look back through history you’ll see that they’ve won more European Cups than us.

"They might not be at their best right now but they always have players who can make life hard for you."

The first leg of the round of 16 tie takes place on February 20.

 

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Sneijder is coming to Galatasaray to retire, says Unal Aysal

Galatasaray chairman Unal Aysal has claimed Wesley Sneijder will end his career with the Turkish champion after the club agreed with the Inter playmaker.

The Turkish champion announced on Sunday that personal terms had been agreed with the Netherlands international, and Unal has now confirmed that the star is due to arrive in Istanbul on Monday to complete his move.

"We are signing players according to our coach's directives," the 71-year-old told Galatasaray's official TV channel, GSTV. "It's a big achievement for Sneijder to play at Galatasaray.

"He said he is coming to end his career here. Our expectations won't be unfulfilled.

"[Inter president Massimo] Moratti is a real gentleman. I appreciated him every time we met. He did what he promised. In the end this is a happy ending for [all] three parties. I'm satisfied with Moratti's collaboration.

"I've explained our vision two years ago. We aimed to be in Europe permanently and that's what we are trying to do," he added.

 

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Crystal Palace deny deal struck for winger Wilfried Zaha to join Manchester United

Crystal Palace have denied suggestions a deal has been struck for winger Wilfried Zaha to join Manchester United.

Newspaper reports suggested Sir Alex Ferguson held talks with the player in London on Sunday over a switch that could be worth up to £15million.

But Palace have told Sky Sports they have not given Zaha permission to talk with the Premier League side and no deal has yet been struck.

Arsenal and Tottenham have also been tracking the 20-year-old's progress, although United remain favourites to land him.