..::Football II::..

[Wolverine GTR]

Galatasaray 1-1 Schalke: Jones fires valuable away goal to put Germans in control

A determined performance from Schalke led the away side to an impressive 1-1 draw against Galatasaray, as it put itself in the driving seat for the Champions League last-16 tie.

Burak Yilmaz had given his side a dream start in the 12th minute with a powerful strike, but the Turkish team was pegged back by Jermaine Jones' leveler and will have to get a result in the second leg to stay in the continental competition.

The Germans were the first team on the offensive, troubling goalkeeper Fernando Muslera after barely a minute had been played. The Uruguayan pulled off a fingertip save from Jermaine Jones, who fired in savagely from out wide after gaining space on the wing. Schalke looked dangerous in the opening minutes, but it would be the Turkish outfit who took the advantage.

Benedikt Howedes looked a safe bet to deal with an intelligent pass lofted through by Selcuk Inan, but the defender and Schalke captain hesitated, failing to take the bouncing ball under control.

Burak Yilmaz took full advantage of Howedes' slip, crashing past his opponent and releasing a powerful effort that gave Timo Hildebrand no chance one-on-one. It was a perfect start for the home side, as it looked to strengthen its case for a spot in the Champions League quarterfinal in front of its own fans.

Schalke was unbowed by the early setback, and should have hit back almost immediately through Klaas-Jan Huntelaar. The Netherlands international had crept in unmarked at the far post as Howedes headed a corner powerfully across goal, but somehow he failed to make contact with the ball which flashed past and out of play.

The visitors were pushing hard for an equalizer, and it almost arrived thanks to the unlikely figure of defender Semih Kaya - who came within inches of turning Jefferson Farfan's cross past his own keeper.

The breakthrough for Schalke came in the dying minutes of the first half, the crossbar having already denied Hamit Altintop the chance to double Galatasaray's advantage.

Farfan punched a hole in the home defense with a sparkling run, and was unselfish enough to square to Jones in the box. The midfielder finished impeccably to cap his side's counter, and turn the advantage Schalke's way in the first leg.

Both teams continued to search for victory after the interval, which made for an enthralling clash. Albert Riera forced Hildebrand into action with a cross-shot that was punched clear by the shot-stopper, before Farfan was given an excellent opportunity to give his side a second at the other end.

Julian Draxler surged past the Galatasaray defense and reached the byline, and with the net wide open the Peruvian could only find the legs of Semih with his shot, saving the Turkish side from going behind.

Yilmaz was the next to break through, but was spared the disappointment of failing to beat Hildebrand clean through by a late flag from the linesman. Momentum switched between the two penalty areas, Huntelaar the next to go close with a volley skied over the bar, but in spite of both teams enjoying opportunities there was no breaking the deadlock, and Schalke take a narrow away goal advantage back to Germany.

Schalke and Galatasaray will be back in Champions League action on March 12, when they meet for the last 16 decider in Germany. The Turkish side knows it will have to score at least once to avoid elimination.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Ambrosini: Barcelona win a landmark moment in rocky season

The Rossoneri captain says the right tactic was used to stifle the Blaugrana, but he warned against writing Milan's ticket to the Champions League quarterfinals prematurel AC Milan midfielder Massimo Ambrosini has described the club's 2-0 UEFA Champions League win over Barcelona as a major highlight in what has been a rocky season for the Rossoneri.

Massimiliano Allegri’s men were languishing in the middle of the Serie A table in November, but an admirable streak of form has seen them shoot up to third with 25 games gone, and this victory over the Blaugrana will be seen as another success in 2013.Ambrosini believes the Italian side was justified in attempting to frustrate its opponents on Wednesday night but rejected any notion of Milan having one foot in the Champions League quarterfinal stage.

"History has shown that Barcelona have been knocked out of the competition by teams that play a certain type of football," Ambrosini told the club’s official website. "It is a team win and all the players should feel a part of it.

"We needed this after the tough moments we’ve been through this season. We’re not through to the next round though, we haven’t done anything yet. If you go to Camp Nou just to defend, you’ll definitely concede.

"We’ll have to continue to be positive as they’ll be even more competitive at home. From tomorrow, we’ll be thinking about the next match."Giampaolo Pazzini was presented with a start in Mario Balotelli’s cup-tied absence, and the striker credited the win to organization and a team effort.

"It’s no surprise," Pazzini said. "We played a great game, and the coach prepared us well. The fans were fantastic and it was a stupendous evening. I think you could see that we were a team this evening.

"On nights like tonight, the individual aspect goes to the back. Now we have to get our energy back and from tomorrow we’ll be thinking about the derby [against Inter on Sunday].

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Demba Ba refuses to be cowed by prospect of Chelsea summer signings

The Senegal striker has vowed to put up a fight if the west London club brings in a new star striker in the off-season, and stated that he "will not be pushed around."
Demba Ba insists he is not worried by the prospect of competition from a big-money summer signing at Chelsea.

The 27-year-old moved to Stamford Bridge from Newcastle in January and has had to fight over a starting berth with 50 million pound man Fernando Torres, while the Blues are known to be long-term admirers of Atletico Madrid striker Radamel Falcao.

And with Romelu Lukaku impressing while on loan at West Brom, there will likely be fiercer competition for places in West London for 2013-14, but the Senagal striker says he is unconcerned.

"Everywhere you go, [competition] is there. It will always exist. I'm at one of Europe's biggest clubs," he told reporters. "Each year, they're going to bring in a striker, that's part of football.

"It's what makes you better if you take it the right way. I work, I know what I can achieve. If they buy a new forward, it'll help me improve. I won't let myself be pushed around."

Chelsea takes on Sparta Prague in the Europa League on Thursday, but will be without Ba who is cup-tied after previously featuring in the competition for Newcastle.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Tottenham fans attacked in Lyon bar

The Spurs supporters were spending time in a local nightspot when a group of hooligans began throwing missiles at the windows in scenes described as "manic" by an eyewitness.Three Tottenham supporters have been taken to the hospital after a group of men wearing balaclavas attempted to smash their way into a bar in Lyon.

The pub in question, the Smoking Dog, is an English-style bar in Lyon's Old Town and was, according to reports, filled with around 140 fans of the north London club.

The attack, which occurred around 24 hours before Andre Villas-Boas' side meets the Ligue 1 outfit in the Europa League last 32, saw several windows broken by force and fans injured by the flying glass.

Theo Benneworth, who was in the Smoking Dog pub with a group of Spurs fans when the attacks happened, told Goal.com how the violence came in two separate waves.

He said: "We were standing at the bar, not more than 10 feet from the front door, when suddenly the place came under attack. The pub's windows were smashed by an array of chairs, bar stools, tables etc.

"It had really come from nowhere and most people inside the pub seemed taken aback, while a few wanted to fight back. I honestly couldn't tell you how many English fans, if any, went out. The situation really was manic. One British security guard did his best to block incoming items with a bar stool.

"A couple of minutes later, the second wave of missile-throwing came. Less intense this time, but arguably more dangerous as the windows were already smashed through. Along with most others in the pub, I was forced towards the back of the building as everyone was keen to get away from the flying glass. The windows were boarded up quickly and police/ambulances were called.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Iniesta: Barcelona did not show up in Milan

The midfielder was left bitterly disappointed with his side's muted display as it fell to a shock loss on Wednesday night Andres Iniesta admitted Barcelona failed to show up against AC Milan following its 2-0 defeat in the first leg of their last 16 Champions League clash.

Goals from Kevin-Prince Boateng and Sulley Muntari stunned the visitors and means the Catalans now have a mountain to climb ahead of the second leg at Camp Nou.

"This was a very negative result. When you don't show up for a game, this can happen," Iniesta told reporters after the game.

Defender Dani Alves was left equally disappointed with the result and suggested the Blaugrana had not shown enough fight at San Siro.

"We could have competed better," he added. "The Champions League is a big competition, you don't get anything for free and you have to fight for it."

Controversy surrounded the first goal, with a shot from Riccardo Montolivo appearing to strike the hand of Cristian Zapata, before Boateng fired home from the rebound and Gerard Pique was unhappy with what he felt was a clear infringement.

"For me it was totally clear, but apparently the referee didn't see it."

Barca will have the opportunity to make amends for a disastrous evening when it hosts the Rossoneri in the second leg at Camp Nou on March 12.

 

[panchaz]

AC Milan 2-0 Barcelona: Boateng and Muntari leave Catalans on brink

A textbook smash and grab display from AC Milan was enough to upset Barcelona 2-0 in the opening leg of their Champions League round of 16 clash at San Siro on Wednesday.

Kevin-Prince Boateng opened the scoring during the second half in controversial circumstances after an apparent handball by Cristian Zapata in the buildup, and Sulley Al Muntari finished off a counter attack for the second goal with nine minutes to go.

Much like last season's 0-0 quarterfinal first leg meeting between the two sides, Barca monopolized possession, but was unable to convert its dominance into goals in the face of a defensive clinic from the Rossoneri, who now look like convincing favorites to advance to the last eight.

In the absence of the cup-tied Mario Balotelli, Massimiliano Allegri called on Giampaolo Pazzini to partner Stephan El Shaarawy up front, while Xavi passed a late fitness test to start in midfield for the visitors.

Early on, Phillipe Mexes was forced to head away a Jordi Alba cross dangerously close to the far post, but the first real opening came when Pazzini’s flick put El Shaarawy in the clear, but a poor first touch allowed Carles Puyol to remove the danger.

As expected, Milan was put under significant pressure by the tiki-taka football of Barcelona, but it was able to stifle the Blaugrana in great numbers, and force them to bide their time with patient passes outside the area.

Mexes was shown a 25th minute yellow card for tripping up Lionel Messi, but the first half passed with little incident as Barca could do little with all its possession, while Milan’s rare forays forward were snuffed out almost as quickly as they began.The second half progressed in much the same vein as the first with Barca on top, but, just before the hour mark, Milan would take the lead out of nowhere in hotly contested circumstances.

Kevin Constant laid off a free-kick to Riccardo Montolivo, whose shot appeared to cannon off the hand of Zapata. There was no call from the referee, however, and Barca was stunned as Boateng steadied himself to finish from the edge of the box.Animated protests from the visitors only led to a booking for Gerard Pique, and Barca's frustration continued in front of goal, with Andres Iniesta's fizzing drive from distance about the best it could muster in front of goal.

And with 81 minutes on the clock, Milan's optimism turned to flat out jubilation, when a sweeping move on the break saw M'Baye Niang release El Shaarawy into the area, who in turn teed up the streaming Muntari for a precise volley from inside the box.

The San Siro was rocking with pride and disbelief, and its elation crested as Barca simply could not find a way back into the match in the time that remained, setting up an enticing second-leg at Camp Nou in three weeks, with the Catalans needing to score at least twice.

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Porto 1-0 Malaga: Moutinho the difference for Portuguese giants

 

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Arsenal 1-3 Bayern Munich: Kroos and Co. pile pressure on beleaguered Wenger

AC Milan 2-0 Barcelona: Boateng and Muntari leave Catalans on brink

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Metalist Kharkiv 0-1 Newcastle (Agg: 0-1): Ameobi spot on to send Magpies through

Newcastle progressed to the last 16 of the Europa League thanks to a 1-0 win away to Metalist Kharkiv, holding out under pressure late on.

Shola Ameobi scored the vital goal for the Magpies from the penalty spot after a mix up between Papa Gueye and Olexandr Goryainov.

The home side was unchanged from the draw at St James' Park, while Alan Pardew made four changes to last week's lineup. Danny Simpson and Massadio Haidara came into the defense for Steven Taylor and Davide Santon, with Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa switching from right back to center back and Haidara making his debut for the Magpies.

Elsewhere, Cheikh Tiote was ruled out with Vurnon Anita replacing him in the side, and Sylvain Marveaux came in with Jonas Gutierrez dropping to the bench.

The first real moment of danger came after 15 minutes when Moussa Sissoko embarked on a run down the right wing before cutting in, but the placed effort on his left-foot lacked conviction and rolled harmlessly to Goryainov in goal.

Ameobi then managed to work enough space on the edge of the box to get a shot away, but his left-footed drive was deflected wide past a stumbling Goryainov.

Metalist had its first chance after 28 minutes, as striker Jonathan Cristaldo headed narrowly wide of Tim Krul's post, with the right flank becoming the club's main focus of attack. The Argentine then had a free header from a corner 10 minutes before the break, but made a mess of his attempt.

With five minutes left of the first half, Papiss Cisse had his first effort, finding himself in space to receive the ball from Ameobi, but his effort was straight at Goryainov.

Neither side dominated the first half, with referee Serge Gumienny frequently stopping play, penalizing 24 fouls in the first 45 minutes.

Ten minutes into the second half, the Newcastle should have taken the lead. Marveaux was played in down the left side of the penalty area, but rather than square it to the unmarked Ameobi or Cisse, the Frenchman crashed an effort over the bar, much to his teammates' disapproval.

In the 64th minute, Newcastle finally made the breakthrough with a gift of a penalty after a mix-up between Papa Gueye and Goryainov. The defender over hit a back pass, with Sissoko capitalizing and being brought down by the goalkeeper.

Ameobi stepped up and swept the ball to the keeper's right, sending him the wrong way and leaving Metalist needing two goals to progress.

Five minutes later, Krul made a vital stop as substitute Willian found himself through on goal within seconds of coming on, but his attempted dink was blocked by the keeper.

The Dutchman was called upon again in the 77th minute, making three stops in a matter of seconds. Cristaldo was through, but his shot was straight at the keeper. From the rebound he pushed out a cross-shot, and then Cristaldo was on hand again to turn a wayward shot goalwards, with Krul making another fine stop, springing away to his left.

With five minutes to go, Willian's header forced another great save from Krul, keeping the ball out with the help of his post.

Despite the danger, Newcastle held on to progress through to the final 16 of the competition.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

CFR Cluj 0-3 Inter (Agg 0-5): Guarin double ensures safe passage for Nerazzurri

Inter secured safe passage to the last 16 of the Europa League after dispatching Romanian outfit CFR Cluj 3-0 following a first-half Freddy Guarin brace.

The Colombian was left with the simplest of finishes after some good work by Ricky Alvarez and Rodrigo Palacio on the right flank, before tapping into an empty net following some poor goalkeeping by Mario Felgueiras to give the Italian side a 5-0 aggregate win.

The hosts ended the encounter with 10 men following Camora's dismissal with 10 minutes to go before Marco Benassi added a third in the final minutes of the tie.Inter looked uncomfortable in the opening 10 minutes, but could easily have wrapped up the tie with its first attack of the game after Esteban Cambiasso played a probing ball through the Cluj backline, only for Antonio Cassano to blast over from 12 yards.

However, the tie was all but wrapped up in the 20th minute following some good work by Alvarez in his own half. The Argentine played through to compatriot Palacio, who was onside despite the best efforts of the Cluj defense, before squaring to Guarin to tap into an empty net.

Inter wrapped up the encounter on the stroke of halftime following some poor goalkeeping by Felgueiras after a heavy touch by Guarin. The ball found its way to Alvarez, who squared to the Colombian to side-foot into an open net.A tepid second half finally kicked into life on the hour mark after Pinto broke well down the right. He pulled across goal for Pedro, only to see his side-footed effort blocked by Cambiasso and loop over the bar for a Cluj corner.

Ioan Hora then forced a superb point-blank range save from Handanovic after Inter failed to clear a free kick. The substitute beat the offside trap, but smashed his effort straight at the Nerazzurri number one on the 70 minute mark before Alvaro Pereira was forced to make a last gasp block to deny the same player minutes later.The hosts continued to pepper the Inter goal as Camora forced a good save out of Handanovic before the same player saw red with 10 minutes to go having fouled Benassi.

Benassi then added Inter's third of the evening in the dying embers of the encounter after latching onto a long Cassano pass before tapping under Felgueiras to make it 3-0 on the night and 5-0 on aggregate. After advancing, the Nerazzurri set up a last 16 tie with Tottenham Hotspur.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Liverpool 3-1 Zenit St Petersburg: (Agg: 3-3): Inspired Suarez bags double but Reds crash out of Europe

Luis Suarez scored twice as Liverpool beat Zenit St Petersburg 3-1 but crashed out of the Europa League on away goals.

Hulk had given the Russian side a 19th minute lead after capitalizing on a disastrous error in judgement from Jamie Carragher, before Suarez and Joe Allen struck to give Liverpool a halftime lead.

Suarez scored again after the break but the Reds ultimately fell just short of qualification as they were left to rue Carragher’s first-half mistake, as well as their first-leg performance.

Liverpool was without cup-tied duo Daniel Sturridge and Phillipe Coutinho, while Daniel Agger replaced the injured Martin Skrtel alongside Carragher, who was making his 150th European appearance.

Zenit, meanwhile, installed Sergey Semak in favor of top-scorer Aleksandr Kerzhakov, with Hulk moving into a central attacking role.

After the first leg, Brendan Rodgers had given his side a “fighting chance” of progression and the Kop was in full voice in the buildup to kickoff.

Boos greeted every Zenit touch, while Liverpool showed the same poise and control in possession that helped it thrash Swansea 5-0 on Sunday.

But on 19 minutes, disaster struck. Carragher was caught in possession inside his own half by Hulk, who suddenly had 40 yards of space to himself with the Liverpool goal gaping. The Brazilian burst forward and calmly slotted past Pepe Reina – scoring his sixth goal for Zenit and second of the tie.

A steep hill had suddenly become a mountain as Carragher’s catastrophic error meant Liverpool now needed four goals to progress.

But Suarez offered the home side a glimmer of hope minutes later, thumping home a low free kick from the edge of the area.

Liverpool wasn’t done there as a fantastic cross from Jose Enrique found Allen on 43 minutes. After having his initial shot saved, the midfielder reacted brilliantly to fire home the rebound from inside the six-yard box. Anfield was rocking once again.

The Russians made two changes at the break, but it was all Liverpool from the restart and the incessant pressure suggested the required target of two more goals was well within reach.

Zenit was feeling the heat. After 50 minutes, Liverpool was refused a penalty even though Tomas Hubocan visibly handled in the area, before Suarez was then denied by the palms of Vyacheslav Malafeev.

Suarez could not be stopped on 58 minutes, however, as the Uruguayan curled a sensational 25-yard free kick into the top corner for his second – and Liverpool’s third – of the night.

Unbelievably, the 26-year-old almost made it a hat trick of free kicks 10 minutes later, but Malafeev was this time able to punch the ball away.

Malafeev was Zenit’s hero again moments later as he dived to save a Gerrard half volley, before Reina kept Liverpool in the tie with a save of his own straight up the other end.

The clock was ticking, though, and the tension mounting. The stage was set for a memorable finale.

But there would be no fairytale ending for the Reds as Zenit held on to ensure Liverpool’s participation in Europe this season had come to an admirable end.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Chelsea 1-1 Sparta Prague (Agg: 2-1): Hazard stunner saves Blues as boos rain down on Benitez

Substitute Eden Hazard struck a brilliant last-gasp goal to secure Chelsea a spot in the last 16 of the Europa League with a 1-1 draw with Sparta Prague at Stamford Bridge.

The European champion was seconds away from being taken into extra time after David Lafata’s strike leveled the aggregate score following Chelsea’s 1-0 win in the first leg in Prague.

But Hazard struck a sensational left-footed shot into the roof of the net with virtually the last kick of the game to set up a clash with either Steaua Bucharest or Ajax in the next round.

Hazard’s strike saved Chelsea’s blushes after a frustrating evening that saw manager Rafa Benitez booed for his substitutions while the name of former manager Jose Mourinho was sung loud and clear in London.

It was also a miserable night for striker Fernando Torres, who missed a number of clear-cut chances and himself felt the anger of the Blues faithful.

Chelsea made four changes to the team that won the first leg as John Terry returned to the heart of the defense while Frank Lampard and Branislav Ivanovic were rested ahead of this weekend’s trip to Manchester City.

Benitez admitted before the game that he had half an eye on the City clash and his players seemed to take their eyes off the ball completely during an insipid opening period in which the Sparta controlled large spells of the match.

It was also marked by some woeful finishing by Torres, who could have given Chelsea the lead in the fourth minute but swept his right-footed shot wide from 12 yards after Victor Moses’ pass.

In the 11th minute, Torres again missed a glorious chance to put the Blues ahead on the night as he volleyed Juan Mata’s cross over the bar, opening the door for Sparta Prague to take advantage of the home side’s wastefulness.

That happened in the 17th minute. From a quick free kick, Vaclav Kadlec worked space in the box and squared for Lafata to place his shot into the roof of the net from 10 yards out to level the tie.

The goal silenced the already quiet Stamford Bridge crowd and the Chelsea supporters’ frustration grew as Benitez’s men continued to squander chances.

Mata forced Sparta Prague goalkeeper Tomas Vaclik into a fingertip save after brilliantly juggling the ball in the penalty area before Torres put a free header over the bar from seven yards.

Chelsea was booed off the pitch at the break and started the second half with greater attacking energy as Ramires’ shot was deflected onto the post after good work from Oscar.

Torres then missed yet another excellent opportunity, the striker’s clipped effort saved by Vaclik after he raced through on goal.

At the other end, Sparta Prague reminded the Premier League side of it threat on the counterattack as Marek Matejovsky fired a low shot inches wide of the post from 20 yards with Petr Cech beaten.

Then, as the clock ticked past 90 minutes and the teams began to prepare for extra time, Hazard smashed a wonderful left-footed shot high past Vaclic to the relief of Stamford Bridge.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Schalke's Drogba appeal is nonsense, claim Galatasaray

Schalke confirmed on Thursday that it will contact UEFA over the striker's participation in European competition, but the Turkish side is unworried by the accusations.Galatasaray has slammed Schalke's decision to seek clarity on Didier Drogba's Champions League eligibility as "nonsense."

The Royal Blues announced in the aftermath of their 1-1 round of 16 draw at the Turk Telecom Arena that they would contact UEFA over whether the Cote d'Ivoire forward was properly registered to feature on Wednesday.

Galatasaray official Bulent Tulun has hit back, insisting the Istanbul giant is innocent of any wrongdoing and that Schalke is deliberately trying to start fires ahead of the return leg in Gelsenkirchen.

"Everything is fine with Drogba," Tulun told Bild. "Schalke are just trying to provoke us. What is this nonsense?"

Meanwhile, Tulun's German counterpart, Horst Heldt, confirmed his intention to seek clarification over the matter.

"We have discussed this with our lawyers intensively," Heldt said. "Not protesting at all would be negligent towards the club. We are not trying to obtain something by fraud. We only want legal certainty."

Drogba joined Galatasaray on an 18-month contract in the January transfer window after he chose to end his Chinese adventure with Shanghai Shenhua amid reports that the club failed to pay his wages.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Redknapp: QPR needs at least 20 more points to survive

The 65-year-old is still confident his side can avoid relegation despite sitting bottom of the Premier League and seven adrift of safety with only 12 games to play this Season QPR manager Harry Redknapp says his side need at least 20 more points in itsremaining 12 games of the season to beat the drop.

The Loftus Road side is currently seven points adrift of safety at the foot of the table, with the first game up a home fixture to league leaders Manchester United, but Redknapp still believes it is possible to avoid relegation.

"We need to close the gap," Redknapp told reporters."We need 20 points at least. Whether that would be enough I don't know but we have to try for that."

He added, "Of course I feel we can do it. If I stop believing everyone does. I still think it is possible with 12 games to go and lots of points to play for, six points can turn everything around so quickly."

QPR has struggled with injuries this season, particularly up front. January signing Loic Remy has been out since suffering a groin injury in training earlier in the month and the former Marseille forward could make his return on Saturday, while Redknapp reiterated Bobby Zamora will likely require surgery in the summer.

"We have a pretty fit squad. Remy has trained the last couple of days and looks OK," Redknapp stated. "We will have to see how he is and whether he can play. He trained yesterday. It is difficult with groins. We don't want to risk him.

He added, "Bobby might need an operation at the end of the year but the aim is to keep him going for the next 12 games.

"We are hoping we can get more than half a game from him but we will see how we go."

On Saturday's opponents, Redknapp admits he would be "very surprised" if Manchester United didn't go on to win the Premier League this season with the quality they boast in their squad.

"I'd be very surprised if they don't win the league from where they are," Redknapp said. "They have kept winning and other teams have had bad runs. They have been the only team playing with consistency so it has left them in a great position.

He added, "[Wayne] Rooney is a top player. But they are full of top players that is why they are so far clear."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Corinthians ordered to play Libertadores matches behind closed doors until further notice

CONMEBOL has issued a temporary order after the death of a young fan at the Brazilian club's Copa Libertadores game with San Jos.Corinthians has been ordered to play all future home matches in the Copa Libertadores behind closed doors after a 14-year-old fan was killed by a flare.

The ban will remain in place until the South American governing body makes a final ruling on the matter.

During Corinthians' first game in its defense of the Libertadores trophy against San Jose in Oruro, a firecracker was launched into San Jose fans from the away section, killing a Bolivian supporter. The object penetrated the young fan's eye and he died before reaching hospital.

Fans of the World Club Cup winners will be denied admission to next Wednesday's home tie against Colombian side Millonarios and subsequent home matches against Tijuana and San Jose. A total of 83,500 fans were hoping to attend the three games in Sao Paulo's Pacaembu stadium.

According to local reports, 12 supporters have also been charged with homicide after events at San Jose's Jesus Bermudez stadium.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Casillas one month away from Real Madrid return

The Spain international's recovery schedule is running smoothly and he could be fit again by the middle of March Iker Casillas says he should make his Real Madrid return within the next four weeks.

The goalkeeper broke his thumb in the Copa del Rey clash with Valencia in January and underwent surgery to correct the problem.

The operation saw the Blancos captain undergo total reconstruction of his thumb and two screws were inserted, both 17 milimeters long and two millimeters wide.

"I have a month to go. Things are really looking up," he told reporters during the opening ceremony for the new club shop at the Bernabéu. "The doctor expects me to be back in another four weeks. I'm doing active exercise and I can move my finger now."

However, Casillas will have a fight on his hands to reclaim his starting slot, having been dropped by Jose Mourinho prior to injury and with Diego Lopez arriving from Sevilla.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Wenger: I have never felt like quitting Arsenal

The 63-year-old said his love for the game and desire to win is what keeps him going, while stressing the importance of bouncing back from cup defeats against Aston Villa.Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger insists he has never felt like quitting the club.

The Frenchman has come under increasing pressure after the Gunners' 3-1 defeat at home to Bayern Munich in the Champions League left them staring another trophy-less season in the face. However, the 63-year-old indicated that he is still enjoying life in north London and revealed he has not once thought about calling it a day at the Emirates.

"Never, not for one second," he said when asked if he has considered throwing in the towel. "My love for the game and love of winning is what keeps me going."

The Premier League outfit needs at least three goals in the return leg in Germany to progress to the next stage of the Champions League, but the boss says any knee-jerk reactions to the loss would be damaging and instead suggested his players just lack belief.

"There is no possibility in any club of changing direction every time you lose a game," he continued. "I feel we lack a bit of belief and confidence. We don't have a problem of quality, it is of belief and confidence.

"We live in a world of emotion, of excess. We must put things into perspective and stay solid. We must stay united and not be destabilized by people with strong opinions. We are here to win games and when you don't it is a huge disappointment. We have to get over that and focus on the next."

Wenger admits that the Villa game is "vital" for restoring some confidence, especially with a top-four finish still far from secured.

"We have to prepare ourselves for a battle," he added. "It is always a battle against Aston Villa. The crowd will play a big part, especially after Tuesday night. We must get them behind us. This is a very important game for us. It is vital because we play at home and want to come back in a strong position."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Villas-Boas: Beating Inter would put Tottenham in a great position to win Europa League

The Portuguese manager says his side will be finely poised to challenge for the trophy if it can get past the Italians in a repeat of the Champions League encounter of 2010.Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas believes that his side will be in a great position to win the Europa League if it can see off Inter next month.

The Spurs boss took over at White Hart Lane in the summer was talking after his side clinched a place in the last 16 thanks to some late drama against French club Lyon in the round of 32. The Premier League side was trailing 1-0 on the night and tied at 2-2 on aggregate but heading out on away goals, until Belgium international Mousa Dembele's powerful last minute strike put it through to face the Italians."We just want to recreate a special night everyone remembers at the club," Villas-Boas told reporters. "Going through against Inter Milan and Lyon [would] put you in a good place to win the competition."

The tie will be what many Tottenham fans will see as their biggest of the season and will evoke special memories of the last time the teams met, during the group stages of the Champions League back in 2010.

During those two games, Spurs took advantage of some sloppy and uncharacteristic defense by the Italians. They lost 4-3 in the San Siro despite a hat trick from Welsh star Gareth Bale, before the winger put in another great performance at White Hart Lane as they ran out 3-1 winners.

Bale had a far more muted performance in France and Villas-Boas admitted that his team did not play well in the first half in Lyon to defend their 2-1 advantage from the first leg, as a Maxime Gonalons goal threatened to know the north Londoners out of the competition before Dembele's goal."In the second half we were the better team," Villas-Boas added. "We created some chances and we were rewarded with the second goal in the end. Individual players make a difference and Mousa certainly made the difference.

"If you look at the number of chances Lyon had over the two legs it would not have been fair if they had gone through."

 

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Van der Vaart urges Son to stay with Hamburg

The former Tottenham midfielder wants the South Korean to stay on at Hamburg, despite several European sides looking to lure him away from German Hamburg midfielder Rafael van der Vaart has urged Heung-Min Son to stay with the side, after he was linked with a move away from the Volksparkstadion.

The South Korean, who has scored nine goals in 21 appearances, is reportedly a target of several European clubs who are battling to attract the young striker’s signature. But the ex-Tottenham play-maker believes that Son should stay with the German outfit, highlighting the promise of first-team football.

“I think for Sonny, it would be better to stay here [at Hamburg] for now," Van der Vaart told reporters."And I'm not just saying that because the boy has been in outstanding form for us. It's the first very good season in his career, he doesn't have to become jumpy and make a switch.

"At the biggest clubs, you can quickly end up on the bench, especially as a young player."