..::Football III::..

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'Koke will be key for Spain & Atletico'

Atletico Madrid captain Gabi believes that Koke is on the road to becoming a key player for the club and for Spain.

The pair featured in Real Madrid's 1-0 defeat to the Colchoneros, in which Diego Costa's goalscoring streak continued with an early strike which ultimately sealed the three points in the visitors' favour.

"Costa is very important to the way we play," Gabi told reporters.

"For his forward runs, his capacity to sacrifice [individual gains for the team], the delivery he puts on every ball, and how he holds the ball up in front of goal.

"Koke is going to be a fundamental player for Atletico and for the national team. He's world class."

Gabi also insisted that the players were convinced they could conquer Carlo Ancelotti's men following last season's Copa del Rey final win, despite not having beaten them in La Liga since 1999.

"We approached the derby in a different way to how we had done in the past," the midfielder added.

"We knew it was possible to win at the Bernabeu after what we did in the Copa del Rey final, but also that they would be more attentive.

"Atletico played a 10 out of 10 game. This time we knew that a win was possible and that statistics are there to be broken."

Vicente Calderon summer signing David Villa revealed his satisfaction with beating the Blancos - against whom he has battled on numerous occasions with Barcelona and Valencia in the past.

"My first Madrid derby was unforgettable!" he wrote on his official Twitter account. "The whole team were immense."

 

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'I left Barca because they were too good' - Larsson

Former Barcelona forward Henrik Larsson says he chose to leave the Catalans as he felt the team were too good.

The legendary Swede moved to Catalunya in 2004, winning two Liga titles and the Champions League over the course of a two-year spell.

He left in 2006 to return to hometown club Helsingborgs and he has explained that the competition in the squad motivated his decision to return home.

"The team were very good, perhaps too good," he told Radio Catalunya when quizzed on the reasons behind his departure.

"I felt I still had the strength to play for a few years more. Besides, my son was 10 and it was time to go home to let him grow up in Sweden.

"My time at the club was fantastic and the connection with the fans was spectacular."

Barca clash with another of Larsson's former clubs, Celtic, in the Champions League in midweek and the 42-year-old remarked that the two clubs share a similar philosophy.

"Celtic are also 'Mes que un club'. You have to win everything, all the titles you compete for, so in this aspect, there is not much difference between the clubs.

"Barca are better, but Celtic are a team who never give up."

Larsson also lauded the quality of Barca star Lionel Messi, who broke into the Blaugrana team during his time at the club.

"He's the best player in the world. It was a treat to see him grow alongside Ronaldinho and see how he has improved to what he is now," he concluded.

 

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De Rossi plays down Scudetto talk

Roma midfielder Daniele De Rossi says his side's primary aim for the season is to qualify for Europe, not to win the Scudetto.

The Giallorossi kept up their 100 per cent start to the season with a brilliant 5-0 win over Bologna on Sunday, sending them top of the table after six games.

They also possess the league's best defensive and attacking records, but the legendary midfielder feels they should not aim for the title just yet.

"Scudetto? We are top after six rounds, so it’s normal someone is going to think about it, but we are not the strongest team," he told Sky Sport Italia.

"Our objective is to get back into Europe and I’m sure we’ll achieve that."

Roma have conceded just one goal so far this season and De Rossi says he is keen for them to keep up their impressive defensive record.

“This victory adds points and confidence. We no longer wet ourselves the way we used to in the past," he continued.

“It can happen that someone makes a mistake, but we play like a real team now. I received an absurd yellow card at the end when we were 5-0 up because I didn’t want us to concede a goal.

"I care about us remaining the strongest defence in Serie A."

 

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Rodgers: Sturridge & Suarez best strike partners in Premier League

Brendan Rodgers has suggested Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge are the best strike partners in the Premier League following Liverpool's 3-1 win at Sunderland.

Suarez was handed his first Premier League start since the completion of his 10-match ban on Sunday and grabbed two goals courtesy of assists from his fellow forward at the Stadium of Light.

Sturridge had earlier opened the scoring for the Merseyside club and Rodgers believes the pair's performance proves they are among the best in the English top flight.

"I'm not sure there are two better [strikers] in the league," he said.

"There are some wonderful partnerships around, you've got [Robin] van Persie and [Wayne] Rooney up there who've been outstanding.

"We've changed the structure of our team a bit to allow us to pass it better and we've still got an awful lot of work to do - but also to fit in with the types of players we have.

"And those two are right up there with the best in the country and you saw that today.

"For the goal, Steven Gerrard makes an absolutely breathtaking pass out of pressure and Daniel's touch, pace, power takes him in and he's shown that quality to roll the ball in for Luis to get his finish.

"I think those two will only get better, you see the understanding, we've done a lot of work with them together in training and they looked very bright today."

Liverpool came into Sunday's game having suffered a league defeat to Southampton and a Capital One Cup exit at the hands of Manchester United over the past week.

And Rodgers was pleased with the way his team bounced back against a team out to impress following the sacking of manager Paolo Di Canio.

"I was delighted with the result. We had a really good performance but didn't get anything in the week at Old Trafford so to come away and get the result and perform in parts of the game as we did today was very pleasing," he added.

"Kevin (Ball, caretaker manager) had a reaction from his team, he's only been in charge of them for a short period of time but you could see the intensity and the focus they had in the game.

"So we always had to be alert and I thought we defended very well and on the counter-attack we looked very, very threatening so (it is) a great victory for us."

 

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Bale eager to repay Real Madrid support

Gareth Bale says he is eager to improve at Real Madrid in order to repay the support from the Blancos faithful following his home debut on Sunday.

The €100 million Welshman came on as a second-half substitute in his side's 1-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid, and while he acknowledges the "fantastic" reception he received, Bale is desperate to help his side get back to winning ways quickly.

"Playing at the Bernabeu was a fantastic experience, but the important thing would have been winning," he was quoted as saying by the club's official website.

"It was a difficult match because they were well organised defensively and after the goal it was tough because of how they play. In the second half we kept trying, without success.

"I went on in the second half and I felt good but I have to improve. It was a fantastic experience and I have to play better every day to pay back that affection.

"We try to win every match and now we don’t feel good, but we have to think about the next match that we have on Wednesday [against Copenhagen]. Personally, I will be looking to play well and keep improving. I will prepare in the right way and try to help the team get the three points."

Madrid's clash with the Danish champions kicks off at 20:45CET on Wednesday.

 

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Pogba delighted with 'difficult' derby victory

Paul Pogba was relieved with Juventus' 1-0 derby win over Torino in a tightly-contested affair at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday.The Frenchman scored the only goal of the game in the second half, to leave Torino looking for a first Serie A victory over their city rivals since 1995.

But the goal was not without controversy as Carlos Tevez headed against the crossbar from two yards while seemingly in an offside position, with Pogba nodding home the rebound, although the former Manchester United man was simply happy to head into their Champions League commitments next week off the back of a victory."It was a difficult game," he commented to reporters.

"We're all happy about claiming all three points and returning to the top of the league. Now we'll focus our attentions on the Champions League.
"We drew the first game so it's vital we beat Galatasaray."

 

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Messi out for two to three weeks

Barcelona have confirmed that Lionel Messi will be out of action for between two and three weeks due to a thigh injury.

The 26-year-old Rosario native opened the scoring in the 21st minute of Saturday's Liga meeting with Almeria but hobbled from the field just moments later.

"Leo Messi has a minor hamstring injury in his right leg," read a statement on the Catalan club's official website. "This was confirmed this morning in the Medical Services Sports City.

"The Argentine should be out for approximately two-to-three weeks, forcing him to miss two games that Barcelona has this week: on Tuesday, against Glasgow Celtic, and on Saturday, at Camp Nou, against Valladolid."

Messi, who was severely hampered by a hamstring injury during the final stages of last season, should therefore be in line to make his return to action against Osasuna on October 19.

 

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Get well soon Messi!

 

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De Gea 'ate too many tacos' & is 'lazy' at learning English - former Manchester United coach Steele

Former Manchester United goalkeeping coach Eric Steele has lifted the lid on the issues behind David De Gea's tough start to life at Old Trafford.

De Gea struggled on the pitch in his first season in England following a €21 million move from Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2011, with inconsistent performances punctuated by high-profile mistakes.

And Steele has now revealed the Spaniard's difficulties were the result of a number of issues, including weight, diet and attitude.

"There were lifestyle issues," he told United We Stand fanzine. "He'd sleep two or three times a day. He'd have his main meal late at night. He'd eat too many tacos.

"We pushed protein drinks on him straight after training. We physically made him drink. We had him in the gym a lot. He hated it. They don't do the gym in Spain as much. We needed to build his core strength.

"One issue with him was that he was just 71 kilos. We worked with him on and off the field to make him more powerful. We changed his lifestyle.

"He would finish training and want to go home. When I told him to come back in the afternoon he'd ask: 'Why?'

"[He could] be very solemn in training, he was always better in a group. Solemn because he was tired, mentally and physically. I told him he needed to train better, that he was on show every day.

"There were times in his first season when he trained poorly. I told him that players made decisions for managers, not the other way around. That he should be first, not last out for training."

Steele also admitted he was forced to learn Spanish to communicate with De Gea, thanks to the United No.1's unwillingness to apply himself in his English language classes.

"We needed to be able to communicate with each other straight away, even if it was just the basic terms," he added.

"David is lazy in his desire to learn English. So I learned. I kept telling him to work on his English."

When asked whether De Gea - who has been linked with a return to Spain to replace the outgoing Victor Valdes at Barcelona - is settled at Old Trafford, Steele replied: "Yes, but there are still issues.

"He's living in a huge house with his mum and dad. He's got a beautiful girlfriend who lives in Barcelona. We pushed him to move on his own. Living with your parents helps and hinders."

 

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Kagawa is in my plans, insists Moyes

Manchester United boss David Moyes insists Shinji Kagawa is still in his plans despite substituting him at half-time against West Brom on Saturday.

The 24-year-old, who netted six goals in 20 league appearances last season, made his first Premier League appearance of the campaign in the shock 2-1 loss to Steve Clarke's side.

His return to top-flight action was cut short, though, as 18-year-old Adnan Januzaj replaced him at the interval, but Moyes suggested that the change was tactical."We want Shinji to feel that he's getting an opportunity to show what he can do," the 50-year-old Scottish coach said.

"Arguably, his best position may be number 10 but I think for Japan he plays in the same position we're playing him just now."So it's not something which is strange to him or not his position but there's a lot of competition here and what we want is the competition to push each other on to get performances and improve."

United's indifferent start has left them 12th in the table but their next test comes in the Champions League on Wednesday, when they face Shakhtar Donetsk in Ukraine.

 

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I love giving everything for Dortmund, says Lewandowski

Robert Lewandowski insists that he will continue to give his all for Borussia Dortmund - in spite of his desire to move to rivals Bayern Munich.

The Poland international scored twice on Saturday, adding to a double from Marco Reus and a Jakub Blaszczykowski strike, as die Schwarzgelben claimed an emphatic 5-0 win over Freiburg.

However, though his intention to sign for Bayern has been widely publicised, Lewandowski has stressed that he is extremely happy to play out the season at BVB and drive his side towards more silverware.

"It's true, I'm having a lot of fun in Dortmund," the 25-year-old forward told Bild am Sonntag.

"I love to give everything for Borussia and want to win as much as I possibly can here."

Lewandowski has been instrumental in Dortmund's positive start to the season, scoring six Bundesliga goals so far this campaign, and he played a part in all five of his side's goals against Freiburg.

Coach Jurgen Klopp also paid tribute to his striker and the rest of his players after Saturday's victory, expressing his evident delight at the quality of this display.

"When the boys come in to play like that, then work is fun," the 46-year-old said after the game.

Dortmund lead the Bundesliga with 19 points from seven games, with reigning champions Bayern second on goal difference.

 

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Pellegrini: Man City can still win title

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini was disappointed to see his side squander two winning positions in defeat to Aston Villa but insisted the Premier League title remains an achievable objective.

The former Malaga coach watched on as his side conceded three times in the space of 25 second-half minutes in Birmingham, as Leandro Bacuna, Karim El Ahmadi and Andi Weimann secured a memorable victory for the hosts.

However, while reiterating his belief that City could yet finish as champions, Pellegrini insisted his players will take each game as they come as they look to bounce back with a win against Everton next weekend.

"We’re not thinking about the title at the moment, we’re thinking about winning the most amount of matches," he said at his post-match press conference. "Playing the way we’re playing I’m absolutely sure we’re going to be fighting.

"I think that we are very strange conceding the first goal which was offside. The second goal wasn’t a free kick and the third goal was drawing 2-2 and at that moment we were going forward.

"I think that we have a lot of chances and a lot of possession. I think we have clear chances to score but we didn’t and we were twice up so I was twice disappointed with that."

Paul Lambert, meanwhile, expressed his delight at his side's resilience to come from behind but rejected notions their third goal proved they were a long-ball team in light of Brad Guzan's strong influence in the play.

"I thought that was brilliant vision from Brad the way he's done it," the Scot said. "He's got to execute that and he's got a hell of a kick on him. It's not a long ball as in we have kicked it long.

"I don't play the game for Brad. He sees things through his own eyes and I'm not one to tell Brad Guzan how to get the ball out the net and how to distribute it. If I did that I don't think he would thank me for it.

"It's a fabulous achievement against Manchester City because the magnitude of the club and the players that they've got. What's really impressive is that we managed to come back twice against them."

 

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The Sweeper: Ozil assured of Wenger extension at Arsenal

Arsene Wenger gave the clearest indication yet this week that he will extend his Arsenal reign beyond next summer.

Following a ringing personal endorsement from club owner Stan Kroenke, the Frenchman said that he expected talks on a new deal to be "straightforward".

The Sweeper can reveal that Mesut Ozil was given assurances by Arsenal chiefs that Wenger would be staying on at the Emirates Stadium when he was negotiating his club-record €50 million move from Real Madrid in August.

Ozil's admiration for Wenger and his methods was a major factor in the Germany playmaker transferring from the Santiago Bernabeu to north London.

The 24-year-old has subsequently admitted that the Gunners boss persuaded him in a series of conversations before his deadline-day move that signing for Arsenal would be a sensible career move.

Wenger began talks with the club in the summer about extending his contract and it is understood that a deal is expected to be agreed within the next few months.

 

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Moyes: United not good enough to win Champions League

David Moyes does not believe that Manchester United have enough "world-class players" to win this season's Champions League.

The Red Devils got off to a good start in their group-stage campaign, beating Bayer Leverkusen 4-2, but the 50-year-old Scottish coach suspects that his side will struggle against Europe's elite.

"To win the Champions League you have to have five or six world-class players," Moyes told reporters after his side's surprise 2-1 Premier League loss to West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.

"If you look at Bayern Munich, they have five or six really ­world-class players and, to win it, you might have to have that in your squad.

"Look at Barcelona, who had it in the past, and Real Madrid have maybe got it now.

"That's the level you have to get at to win it. We've not got that yet. What we have got is experience and several players who are in that category or close to it."

United travel to Ukraine on Wednesday to face Shakhtar Donetsk in the second game of their Champions League group.

 

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Champions League 1ka dinanna bari kathawa Moyes ma kiyana 1kane epa wenne

 

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Barclays Premier League 2013.09.30 Fixture

Barclays Premier League 2013.09.30 Fixture

Everton Vs Newcastle United

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La Liga 2013.09.30 Fixture

La Liga 2013.09.30 Fixture

Granada Vs Athletic Bilbao​

 

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Serie A 2013.09.30 Fixture

Serie A 2013.09.30 Fixture

Fiorentina Vs Parma
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Roma 5-0 Bologna: Gervinho helps rampant Giallorossi to table-topping win

Gervinho patta aparadhi sell kale

Roma elata play karanawa

 

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Messi out for two to three weeks

Get well soon