..::Football III::..

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River Plate 0-3 Barcelona: Suarez hits double as Barca win FIFTH trophy of 2015

Luis Suarez concluded his mastery of the Club World Cup as Barcelona collected their third global crown with a 3-0 final victory over River Plate.

Suarez scored a semi-final hat-trick as Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao were brushed aside and – joined once more by his forward allies Lionel Messi and Neymar – the Uruguayan star netted a second-half brace in the showpiece.

Messi, who missed the semi through illness, opened the scoring as Luis Enrique's team recovered from an uncertain opening to establish the control and dominance that has already secured the La Liga, Copa del Rey Champions League and Uefa Super Cup titles during 2015.

Neymar had to settle for a pair of assists on his return from a groin problem as Barcelona's formidable array of attacking talents made them the first club to win three Club World Cups, following successful 2009 and 2011 campaigns.

River ambitiously sought to push their illustrious opponents back during the opening stages, with Gerard Pique forced to head a dangerous cross from Tabare Viudez over his own crossbar.

Barca rode out the early pressure and the returning Messi drew a stunning save from River goalkeeper Marcelo Barovero after his initial 11th-minute shot was blocked.

A rash lunge from Jordi Alba on Carlos Sanchez earned a booking for the Barcelona full-back and demonstrated that Luis Enrique's team were yet to fully settle.

Rodrigo Mora and Lucas Alario tested Barca keeper Claudio Bravo from distance before Messi had a free-kick tipped around the post.

Despite continuing to struggle for their customary fluency, Barcelona broke the deadlock through their talisman in the 36th minute.

Neymar found himself in the slightly unusual role of rising at the back post to nod down a Dani Alves cross and Messi controlled the bouncing ball to prod past Barovero.

Messi turned provider on the stroke of half-time, threading a crisp through ball into the path of Suarez.

But the striker, who netted a semi-final hat-trick, misjudged his finish and began a trudge towards the tunnel with his shirt covering his face.

Despair turned to delight for Suarez four minutes into the second half as he scampered on to Sergio Busquets' excellent first-time pass and blasted a finish past Barovero

River, who had been bolstered by the half-time introduction of Pity Martinez and Lucho Gonzalez in place of the booked Leonardo Ponzio and Mora, were visibly rattled and Messi spared Barovero with a tame finish before having a shot hacked from the goalmouth by Jonathan Maidana.

The River keeper was then out to thwart Suarez before the hour after Eder Alvarez Balanta completed an inch-perfect tackle on the rampaging Neymar and Messi slotted his latest effort wide.

A succession of fouls proved the Argentinian side's best second-half tactic in slowing the Barcelona charge before Suarez put the result beyond doubt in the 68th minute.

Neymar stood up a perfect cross from the left-edge of the area and Suarez peeled away to place a header inside the near post.

An Alario header gave Bravo a rare piece of late action and Martinez rattled the post from range, but Barca's latest piece of silverware in a remarkable year arrived in unblemished fashion.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Congratulations Barcelona!

Club World Cup Champions 2015!​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Carpi 2-3 Juventus: Mandzukic double sparks comeback

Mario Mandzukic's first-half brace helped Juventus on their way to a seventh consecutive Serie A victory, as Carpi were beaten 3-2 at the Stadio Alberto Braglia on Sunday.

The Croatian netted his eighth and ninth goals of the campaign in all competitions to turn the game around in Modena, after Marco Borriello fired the hosts in front early on.

Paul Pogba added a third after the interval, as Juve scored three goals for the third match in succession, and though Leonardo Bonucci put through his own net in stoppage time there was no way back for Carpi.

The visitors dominated the clash, with Claudio Marchisio allowed time and space to command midfield and Mandzukic and Pogba offering a regular threat up front.
But for the saves of Carpi goalkeeper Vid Belec the scoreline could have become embarrassing for the struggling home side, while Juve substitute Daniele Rugani also saw a goal disallowed for offside, as the visitors coasted to victory.Massimiliano Allegri's men closed to within three points of Inter ahead of the league leaders' home game against Lazio later on Sunday.

Carpi never looked like securing what would have been only their third league win of the campaign and remain in the relegation places following their latest defeat.
At one stage, though, an upset appeared possible, albeit only briefly and against the run of play.Despite barely having a touch of the ball in the opening 15 minutes, the hosts took a shock lead with the game's first shot on target just before the quarter-hour mark.

Borriello, who scored twice in 13 appearances for Juventus back in 2012/13, turned Bonucci inside out on the edge of the box before firing low past Gianluigi Buffon at the Juventus goalkeeper's near post.

The visitors responded within three minutes. Juan Cuadrado's cross from the right was turned goalwards by Sami Khedira and, though Carpi goalkeeper Belec made a terrific double save from first the German and then Paulo Dybala, Mandzukic was on hand to volley home an equaliser.

Marchisio tested Belec with a low drive from range in the 23rd minute and, from the subsequent corner, Giorgio Chiellini nodded a free header over from six yards out as the away side dominated territory and possession.

Belec was on hand to beat away Khedira's fierce effort three minutes later but Carpi were unable to reach half-time on level terms, as Mandzukic doubled his and Juve's tally for the match four minutes before the break.

Chiellini's pass found Patrice Evra down the left wing and the Frenchman crossed for Mandzukic to head past Belec from close range.

Four minutes after the restart for the second half, Pogba added a third in stunning fashion. Marchisio's excellent long, diagonal pass picked out the run of his fellow midfielder and, after bringing down the ball with a superb first touch, Pogba lifted his shot over the advancing Belec.Rugani thought he had smashed in his first Juventus goal in the 64th minute, after he volleyed home Cuadrado's right-wing cross, but the 21-year-old's delight was cut short by an offside flag.

It took until the 75th minute for Carpi to find their second effort on target, as substitute Jerry Mbakogu shot tamely at Buffon from 20 yards.The hosts' second goal came courtesy of a visiting defender. Bonucci stuck out his right boot in an attempt to clear Luca Marrone's cross but only succeeded in prodding the ball beyond Buffon.

It arrived too late for Carpi to salvage anything from the match, as Juve signed off on a winning note ahead of Serie A's mid-season break.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Watford 3-0 Liverpool: Ighalo double sinks Klopp’s men

Two goals from Odion Ighalo helped to give Watford an impressive 3-0 win over Liverpool at Vicarage Road on Sunday, their fourth consecutive Premier League triumph.

A dreadful mistake from Adam Bogdan, who was replacing the injured Simon Mignolet in Liverpool's goal, allowed Nathan Ake to score a simple opener.

Ighalo, who now has 12 Premier League goals this season, netted shortly after with a neat finish before sealing the victory with a header five minutes from time to pile on the misery for the visitors, who never looked like launching a comeback.

The convincing win puts in-form Watford within one point of Tottenham in fourth place, while Liverpool remain ninth and have now won only three of nine league games since Jurgen Klopp took charge after a poor performance.

Liverpool made four alterations to their team as Bogdan, Roberto Firmino, Lucas Leiva and Mamadou Sakho came in for injured trio Dejan Lovren, Mignolet and James Milner, while Christian Benteke dropped to the bench.

Watford, who were unchanged, made a dream start in the third minute. Bogdan somehow dropped Ben Watson's corner under little pressure, allowing Ake the simplest of tasks to tap home from a yard out as referee Mark Clattenburg ignored the keeper's claims that he had regained control of the ball before the defender struck.

Philippe Coutinho had a shot saved by Heurelho Gomes, but the hosts scored their second after 15 minutes. Troy Deeney chipped a pass forward and Ighalo outmuscled Martin Skrtel to race on to the bouncing ball and divert an accurate finish in off the far post.

Bogdan almost made another blunder when a misunderstanding resulted in him punching the ball against Lucas, with Skrtel having to make a frantic clearance.

A miserable first half got worse for Liverpool when Skrtel limped off injured prior to half-time as Divock Origi came on to replace him in a tactical switch from Klopp.

The Reds looked fired up after the break and Origi shot straight at Gomes, but it was almost game over when Jurado played a pass through to Ighalo and Sakho slipped to allow him through on goal, with Bogdan having to make a vital save.

At the other end, Jordan Henderson forced his way past Ake and struck powerfully towards goal, but Gomes made an important one-handed stop to preserve Watford's two-goal advantage.

Emre Can had a long-range effort beaten away by Gomes, but it was Watford who were to score again, Ighalo heading home substitute Valon Behrami's cross late on to seal a convincing win.

 

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Schweinsteiger hits back at critics: I'll never be as quick as Usain Bolt!

Bastian Schweinsteiger has issued a stinging rebuke to critics of his performances so far this season, claiming he is playing at the same level as during Germany's 2014 World Cup triumph.

Schweinsteiger, 31, has struggled to produce his best form since joining Manchester United from Bayern Munich in July.The midfielder, who starred for Joachim Low's national team as they won the biggest prize in international football during the showcase tournament in Brazil, appears to be struggling to cope with the physicality of England's top flight.

The former Champions League winner, though, has insisted his struggles have been exaggerated and is adamant he is still able to compete in the Premier League.

"Honestly, I am not impressed by the criticism that has been brought up [over] me via the media," he was quoted as saying by German publication Welt am Sonntag ."I am currently playing on a level that is comparable to that during the World Cup [in] 2014.

"'Old man's football' - that is an expression that was used back then, too. After the World Cup final those voices went silent.

"I will never be able to compete with Usain Bolt," he added, referring to the Jamaican sprinter."But being slow or being quick on the pitch has not solely something to do with making sprints. It's also about being quick in your head. And that's something where I am fully up to it. And physically, I am not the slowest either.

"For me, it is important what I am being told face to face. Every one or two words will be made bigger than they actually are [in the media]. It was a good year for me, but not a perfect year. My performances in Manchester were really okay."

Schweinsteiger was suspended as United lost 2-1 at home to Norwich City on Saturday, their sixth match without a win in all competitions and third defeat in succession.

 

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Hiddink confirms he wants Drogba as Chelsea assistant

Newly appointed Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink has confirmed he wants Didier Drogba to be part of his backroom staff.

Hiddink was named as the new man in charge at Stamford Bridge until the end of the season on Saturday and is now looking to compile a team of staff to help him get Chelsea back on track.

The Dutchman was accompanied by Drogba in the stands during Saturday's 3-1 win over Sunderland and he has now made it clear that he is keen to bring the former Chelsea striker back to London."We would like to get him involved," Hiddink told Fox Sports when asked about whether Drogba is an option as his assistant.

"But he still has a contract with Montreal in the MLS, even though it is the close season for them now."But we definitely intend to get him involved.

"We want to get important players involved with the club they care about. Drogba's heart is with Chelsea."

Drogba enjoyed a successful first spell with Chelsea between 2004 and 2012, winning three Premier League titles, two League Cups, four FA Cups and the Champions League before returning to the club in 2014.

The 37-year-old won a fourth Premier League title and third League Cup last term but left for Montreal Impact after the 2014-15 campaign.
He has a contract with the MLS side until.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Klopp: We 'lost our minds' against Watford

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says his team lost their minds after suffering a 3-0 defeat to Watford at Vicarage Road on Sunday.

Odion Ighalo scored twice for the hosts, but it was Nathan Ake's third-minute opener that angered the former Borussia Dortmund boss.

Goalkeeper Adam Bogdan, who replaced the injured Simon Mignolet, had initially dropped a routine Ben Watson corner, but Klopp felt he got two hands back on the ball before Ake made contact to bundle in from close range."The first drop is his fault, but then both hands on the ball, that is the goalkeeper safe," Klopp said to Sky Sports.

"He has the ball, I think the referee didn't see it. Adam should keep it and then he dropped it. Then he had it again and in my opinion usually it is a foul, but then it is 1-0 and our reaction to this goal was really bad."It was the wrong decision but we made more wrong decisions. We lost our minds and stopped playing football - a really bad start to the game.

"Then a very easy second goal, I am not sure if he [Troy Deeney] played a pass or if he did well, but we have to defend this better, an open ball, we lost the fight for this open ball twice and they make the easy goal.

"We changed something at half-time, second half was very good. We could have scored one or two goals but you could see we didn't. And then third goal – game over."

Klopp had to take off Martin Skrtel with an injury before half-time, which he says is another headache ahead of the game with leaders Leicester City on Saturday.
"Martin Skrtel is injured now, that is a problem," he said. "I don't know who will come back in this moment. "Nobody had a rest, now we have to look who is available for Boxing Day."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Real Madrid 10-2 Rayo Vallecano: Blancos run riot against 9-man visitors

Real Madrid suffered an early scare but eventually made numerical superiority tell at the Santiago Bernabeu, as they cruised to an 10-2 drubbing of nine-man Rayo Vallecano.

Sections of the home support whistled under-fire manager Rafael Benitez before kick-off and his players received similar treatment at half-time despite being 4-2 to the good against depleted opponents.

Gareth Bale turned a first-half brace into a four-goal haul, quelling the early discontent that had long subsided by the time Karim Benzema completed a hat-trick in the final minute.Danilo gave Madrid a third-minute lead but quickfire efforts from Antonio Amaya and Jozabed had neighbouring Rayo dreaming of a famous triumph.

Those ambitions were undermined when Tito hacked into Toni Kroos to be sent off and, after Bale equalised, Raul Baena also received his marching orders – preceding a successful penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Benzema opened and closed the second-half mauling, while Ronaldo headed a second and Bale made hay.Madrid are now within two points of champions Barcelona, who wrapped up Club World Cup glory in Japan earlier on Sunday, but the bizarre nature of this rout is unlikely to bring many Benitez doubters onside.

Rayo tore forward from kick-off, only to leave themselves exposed to a slick third-minute counter-attack.

James Rodriguez and Bale combined, and the Welshman released overlapping full-back Danilo to steer a low effort past visiting keeper Yoel.

But Paco Jemez's team would not be discouraged and they deservedly drew level when Amaya headed Roberto Trashorras' corner past a flimsy attempted save from Keylor Navas in the 10th minute.

Worse was to come two minutes later for Madrid – Jozabed planting Tito's deflected cross into the corner to stun the Bernabeu – and the attacking midfielder almost made it three when Navas beat a shot behind at the near post with his defence in disarray.A breathless match took its latest remarkable turn in the 14th minute when Tito was rightly dismissed for a reckless lunge on Kroos, who recovered to fire a blistering drive narrowly wide.

Much had happened in the 24 minutes since Danilo opened the scoring but the Brazilian hooked in a wonderful cross for Bale to bury a headed equaliser.

The carnage was far from over and Rayo were down to nine men in the 28th minute as referee Ignacio Iglesias Villanueva gave Baena a second yellow card for tangling with Sergio Ramos inside the area.

Paco's team were understandably aggrieved as Ronaldo coolly drilled home the resulting penalty.

James sent Bale streaking through the undermanned Rayo ranks to double his tally and the same combination almost heralded a first-half hat-trick in stoppage time, but the ex-Tottenham man could not convert at the far post.

The utterly surreal feel to proceedings was heightened when Real were whistled at half-time and they sought to repair these fractured relations with their fans as Benzema slotted home number five, James the provider once more.

Yoel was out sharply to deny Ronaldo in the 50th minute but his was a thankless task and there was nothing he could do when the Portuguese superstar firmly nodded James' left-wing cross into the net.

Rayo attacked when possible, left-back Nacho having a venomous shot blocked, heralding the unlikely sight of nine men conceding their seventh on the break after 61 minutes.James released Ronaldo to leave Bale with a simple finish for the matchball and he had a fourth when an attempted nutmeg on substitute Quini fell favourably.

Luka Modric found an unmarked Benzema to dispatch number nine and there would be a second hat-trick when he thumped in a lay-off from substitute Mateo Kovacic left footed - concluding a scarcely credible contest in the Spanish capital.

 

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Beckenbauer: It's a shame Guardiola will leave, but Ancelotti is perfect

Franz Beckenbauer is disappointed by the news of Pep Guardiola's decision to leave Bayern Munich but believes Carlo Ancelotti is the "perfect replacement".

Bayern announced on Sunday that Guardiola will leave the Allianz Arena at the end of the season, with former Real Madrid and Chelsea boss Ancelotti due to succeed the Spaniard.

Ancelotti says it is an "honour" to be taking helm of the club next season and wished the current boss good luck for the rest of the campaign.

Guardiola's legacy in Bavaria – two Bundesliga titles and two Champions League semi-finals in two years – is substantial, but Beckenbauer is convinced Ancelotti has the tools to maintain the high standards of the ex-Barcelona boss.

"It's a shame that Guardiola will leave Bayern," Beckenbauer wrote on his official Facebook page."The team as it is, that's all his work. He built this team, his thoughts and ideas are the foundation.

"But that's the way it is. You cannot hold on to someone forever. And Bayern have secured the perfect replacement in Ancelotti."

 

[Alucard_SxE]

Real Madrid 10-2 Rayo Vallecano: Blancos run riot against 9-man visitors

Real Madrid suffered an early scare but eventually made numerical superiority tell at the Santiago Bernabeu, as they cruised to an 10-2 drubbing of nine-man Rayo Vallecano.

Sections of the home support whistled under-fire manager Rafael Benitez before kick-off and his players received similar treatment at half-time despite being 4-2 to the good against depleted opponents.

Gareth Bale turned a first-half brace into a four-goal haul, quelling the early discontent that had long subsided by the time Karim Benzema completed a hat-trick in the final minute.Danilo gave Madrid a third-minute lead but quickfire efforts from Antonio Amaya and Jozabed had neighbouring Rayo dreaming of a famous triumph.

Those ambitions were undermined when Tito hacked into Toni Kroos to be sent off and, after Bale equalised, Raul Baena also received his marching orders – preceding a successful penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Benzema opened and closed the second-half mauling, while Ronaldo headed a second and Bale made hay.Madrid are now within two points of champions Barcelona, who wrapped up Club World Cup glory in Japan earlier on Sunday, but the bizarre nature of this rout is unlikely to bring many Benitez doubters onside.

Rayo tore forward from kick-off, only to leave themselves exposed to a slick third-minute counter-attack.

James Rodriguez and Bale combined, and the Welshman released overlapping full-back Danilo to steer a low effort past visiting keeper Yoel.

But Paco Jemez's team would not be discouraged and they deservedly drew level when Amaya headed Roberto Trashorras' corner past a flimsy attempted save from Keylor Navas in the 10th minute.

Worse was to come two minutes later for Madrid – Jozabed planting Tito's deflected cross into the corner to stun the Bernabeu – and the attacking midfielder almost made it three when Navas beat a shot behind at the near post with his defence in disarray.A breathless match took its latest remarkable turn in the 14th minute when Tito was rightly dismissed for a reckless lunge on Kroos, who recovered to fire a blistering drive narrowly wide.

Much had happened in the 24 minutes since Danilo opened the scoring but the Brazilian hooked in a wonderful cross for Bale to bury a headed equaliser.

The carnage was far from over and Rayo were down to nine men in the 28th minute as referee Ignacio Iglesias Villanueva gave Baena a second yellow card for tangling with Sergio Ramos inside the area.

Paco's team were understandably aggrieved as Ronaldo coolly drilled home the resulting penalty.

James sent Bale streaking through the undermanned Rayo ranks to double his tally and the same combination almost heralded a first-half hat-trick in stoppage time, but the ex-Tottenham man could not convert at the far post.

The utterly surreal feel to proceedings was heightened when Real were whistled at half-time and they sought to repair these fractured relations with their fans as Benzema slotted home number five, James the provider once more.

Yoel was out sharply to deny Ronaldo in the 50th minute but his was a thankless task and there was nothing he could do when the Portuguese superstar firmly nodded James' left-wing cross into the net.

Rayo attacked when possible, left-back Nacho having a venomous shot blocked, heralding the unlikely sight of nine men conceding their seventh on the break after 61 minutes.James released Ronaldo to leave Bale with a simple finish for the matchball and he had a fourth when an attempted nutmeg on substitute Quini fell favourably.

Luka Modric found an unmarked Benzema to dispatch number nine and there would be a second hat-trick when he thumped in a lay-off from substitute Mateo Kovacic left footed - concluding a scarcely credible contest in the Spanish capital.

Patta match eka. Bale ada sahenna attack kara support runs walata wadiya. Ronaldo echchara aggressive une ne and he somehow didn't enjoy the game I guess
Habai defence nam sauththui. If not for 2 Red cards monawa weida kiyala hithaganna bari thanaka hitiye. was down 2 to 1. 2 goals in 2 minutes for rayo
Kochchara goals gahuwath thama hari standard ekata awith ne. Real should be perfect and without mistakes to challenge Barca & Atletico.
Podi match wala lokuwata score karata madi loku match dinanne naththam

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Malaga 1-0 Atletico Madrid: Hosts strike late against 10-man visitors

Ten-man Atletico Madrid missed out on the chance to replace Barcelona at the top of La Liga as a heavily deflected late goal saw them lose 1-0 to lowly Malaga.

With Barcelona taking part in - and winning - the Club World Cup final earlier on Sunday, Diego Simeone's men knew that even a point from their trip to La Rosaleda would be enough to send them into the Christmas break as outright leaders.

But instead, Charles' late effort took a wicked deflection off Diego Godin and secured just a fourth victory of the campaign for the hosts and their first over Atletico since 2009.

The visitors had been looking to extend their unbeaten run to 16 games, but were outplayed by the home side for long periods and lost Gabi to a red card early in the second half.

Malaga's performance showed a vast improvement upon their most recent outing which saw them bundled out of the Copa del Rey by second-tier side Mirandes, and eased the pressure on under-fire coach Javi Gracia.

Atletico's defeat ended a run of nine consecutive victories across all competitions, and means Simeone's side head into the brief mid-season break on the back of a disappointing performance.

Belying the fact that they were searching for just their second win in nine games, Malaga began confidently, with Charles forcing the first save of the game from Jan Oblak after six minutes and then firing across the face of goal after being picked out by Ignacio Camacho.

Atletico, meanwhile, were struggling to get into their stride and other than an off-target effort from Yannick Ferreira Carrasco, failed to threaten the home goal in the opening quarter.

As a rather fractious and disjointed first half wore on, the visitors gradually found some fluency and, after 35 minutes, finally managed an effort on target as Carrasco tested home goalkeeper Carlos Kameni with a free-kick.

But Malaga produced an instant response, the lively Charles seeing his goalbound effort cleared off the line by Juanfran as Duje Cop prepared to divert it home.

Atletico's refusal to put the ball out of play in response to Recio going down injured then prompted an extended bout of pushing and shoving that brought the opening period to an unsavoury end.

Simeone's response to his side's lacklustre first-half display was to replace Luciano Vetto with Fernando Torres at the start of the second period, but it was Malaga who continued to make light of the 14 league places that separated the two sides at the start of play.

And the visitors found themselves up against it in the 56th minute when a handball from Gabi earned him his second yellow card in quick succession.Buoyed by their numerical advantage, Gracia's men poured forward, with Cop testing Oblak from just inside the box after being played in by Weligton.

The visitors remained a threat on the break, however, and could have snatched an unlikely late winner had Kameni not pulled off a fine sprawling save to deny Torres after the former Chelsea man had burst in on goal.But instead it was Malaga who claimed the points with four minutes left in fortuitous circumstances.

Oblak did extremely well to block a fierce strike from Roberto Rosales with his feet, but the Atletico defence failed to clear the danger and Charles' volley took a huge deflection of Godin and crept into the bottom-right corner.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Inter 1-2 Lazio: Candreva late show stuns Nerazzurri

Antonio Candreva's late winner saw Lazio stun Serie A leaders Inter 2-1 at San Siro on Sunday night, in a game which saw both sides end with 10 men.

With three minutes to go, the Italy international saw his spot-kick kept out by Samir Handanovic, but reacted quickly to tap home the rebound and secure the points.

Felipe Melo, who had been guilty of committing the foul which led to the penalty, then received a red card in the dying seconds of the game to make matters even worse for the hosts, before Lazio's Sergej Milinkovic-Savic was also dismissed deep into stoppage time.

Lazio had previously opened the scoring early on via Candreva after a clever corner routine, before Mauro Icardi found the net after a sublime through ball from Ivan Perisic just after the hour mark to level.

Roberto Mancini's men remain top of the Serie A table heading into the mid-season break, but saw Napoli and Fiorentina close to within one point, while Juventus and Roma also narrowed the gap and are trailing by three and four points, respectively.For Lazio boss Stefano Pioli, however, it was a desperately needed victory after a run of two points from seven matches had seen pressure mounting on his position.

Despite their poor form, it was Lazio who struck first after five minutes following a corner routine. Lucas Biglia swept a neat pass to the unmarked Candreva on the edge of the area and he beat Handanovic with a powerful low shot at the near post.The early lead allowed Lazio to sit back and defend deep, looking to hit Inter on the counter-attack with Felipe Anderson and Candreva's pace and trickery.

The home side, meanwhile, struggled to create any chances of note, and Lazio's tactics nearly paid off when Anderson set up Candreva inside the box after some sloppy play from Melo, but the goalscorer lifted his attempt over from five yards out.

Icardi restored parity in the 61st minute, though. Perisic set up the Argentine striker with a delicate through ball and Icardi kept his cool one-on-one with Etrit Berisha, placing the ball through the goalkeeper's legs for his seventh league goal of the season.

Inter continued to dominate proceedings and desperately pushed for a winner, but Lazio's defence held firm before Melo's first moment of madness handed them the chance to claim all three points.The Brazilian needlessly fouled Milinkovic-Savic inside the area and Candreva found the net from the rebound, with Handanovic keeping out his initial attempt.

The drama did not end there, however, as Melo then saw a straight red card for dangerous play, kicking Biglia in the face with a high boot, with Milinkovic-Savic following suit after getting a second yellow for kicking the ball away.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Frosinone 2-4 AC Milan: Bacca and Alex on target in Rossoneri comeback

AC Milan were forced to come from behind before beating a gutsy Frosinone side 4-2 in Serie A on Sunday.

In the first ever league meeting between the two teams, Frosinone took the lead early on through Daniel Ciofani and the hosts were in control until half-time.

After the break, however, Milan piled the pressure on their relegation-threatened opponents and were rewarded in the 50th minute when Ignazio Abate levelled with only his second goal for the club.

Carlos Bacca put the visitors in front five minutes later with his ninth goal in all competitions this season, after brave work from Giacomo Bonaventura, and Milan remained dangerous for the remainder of the encounter at Stadio Matusa.
Federico Dionisi's header gave the home side brief hope, before Alex added a third in the 77th minute.

Giacomo Bonaventura scored Milan's fourth in stoppage time to inflict on Frosinone a defeat that leaves the minnows 18th in the Serie A standings, two points adrift of safety, after a run of three successive losses. Milan, meanwhile, have now lost just one of their last 10 league outings.

In a frantic start to the encounter, M'Baye Niang forced an early save from Nicola Leali in the Frosinone goal, while Gianluigi Donnarumma had to react quickly to push Danilo Soddimo’s powerful effort out for a corner at the other end.

Leali produced an astonishing double save in the eighth minute to deny Niang’s close-range volley and Carlos Bacca’s subsequent header, while Donnarumma was forced into an uncomfortable stop at his near post from Mirko Gori as the game opened up at a rapid pace.

Frosinone struck first in the 19th minute. Milan's defence was split by a simple throughball from Gori, giving Ciofani a clear run on goal, and the striker made the most of the chance by slipping the ball underneath the advancing Donnarumma.

Milan dominated possession after falling behind but rarely managed to get in behind the hosts' backline, as Frosinone reached the break in front.The visitors were protecting a five-match unbeaten run in all competitions and Keisuke Honda should have brought Milan level three minutes after half-time.

The Japanese swapped passes with Abate in the box and found himself bearing down on goal, but he dragged his shot wide of Leali’s right-hand post. Within two minutes, however, Honda played a big role in Milan’s equaliser.

The midfielder’s clever first-time pass picked out the run of Abate, who galloped into the penalty area and beat Leali.In the 55th minute, the visitors were in front. Andrea Bertolacci’s flicked header forward found Bonaventura who poked the ball across the face of goal for Bacca to smash home from a yard out.

With 13 minutes left Alex seemingly put Milan out of sight by rising unmarked in the penalty area to head home a right-wing corner, but the home side responded with a second goal of their own with seven minutes remaining. Daniel Pavlovic swung in a free-kick from the left and Dionisi was left unattended to head past Donnarumma.

However, Bonaventura re-established the away side’s two-goal cushion in the second minute of stoppage time, with a fine finish into the roof of the net, after he was played in by Andrea Poli.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Messi: Barcelona dressing room key to success


Lionel Messi hailed Barcelona's dressing room spirit after they won their fifth trophy of 2015 with victory over River Plate in the Club World Cup final.

Messi scored once and Luis Suarez twice in the 3-0 win on Sunday, which ensured the Catalans ended the year by lifting yet another piece of silverware.

It is the third time Messi has won the Club World Cup and the Argentine believes the close bond between the squad has been key to their continued success.
"It's spectacular that we've won five trophies over the year," he said. "It's impressive. It's very special to achieve this, so to finish the year this way is very beautiful.

"We have a fantastic relationship in the dressing room. We've been playing together for a long time and that helps us. Our group is stronger because of this familiarity."

Luis Enrique hailed the influence of the four-time Ballon d'Or winner and said the 28-year-old raises the level of his team-mates.

"Messi is the best player at Barca, two days ago he was injured but he had a strong desire to play in this match, so I'm very happy that we are all satisfied with the result. We all wanted to win, and that is very important.

"Messi wanted to win. He has a strong motivation and he had a positive impact on all the players."

 

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Ozil fears Mourinho can make Man United great again

Mesut Ozil fears his former manager Jose Mourinho is capable of bringing success to one of Arsenal's main rivals.

Mourinho was sacked by Chelsea last week after a disastrous run of form which saw the champions sink to within a point of the relegation zone before his dismissal.

Despite being sacked by Chelsea for the second time Mourinho has been heavily linked with a number of top European sides, especially Manchester United whose current manager Louis van Gaal is under intense scrutiny, having presided over the club's worst run of form in 17 years.

Ozil, who became an integral part of Mourinho's title-winning Real Madrid side, admits he was shocked to see his old boss struggle at Chelsea but is confident he will be a success in his next job.

“I’m surprised by what happened with José,” he told The Times. “He’s a great manager. I believe that any club he goes to now he will be successful again.

“I know how special he is as a manager. He is a manager who always supports his team and always protects his team. He’s getting the best out of any player. I wish him all the best for the future, and also that he’s healthy and fine.”

 

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Ramos: We're just the pawns here, Perez is the king

Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos pledged support for the club's under-fire president Florentino Perez.

Ramos was responding to comments made by Perez last month, when he said embattled Madrid coach Rafael Benitez was "the solution, not the problem" with the Spanish capital club third in La Liga.Speaking after Madrid's remarkable 10-2 rout of nine-man Rayo Vallecano on Sunday, Ramos told reporters: "If that's what the president says then he has his reasons.

"We're just the pawns here, he's the king."We all support the manager. He tries to bring his own ideas and we try to execute them, every player tries to do it in his own way.

"It doesn't always come off, but the least you have to do is give it your all and leave everything on the pitch."

Ramos was also quizzed about an incident involving Madrid team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ronaldo netted a brace in the win at Santiago Bernabeu, but he appeared to gesture towards the stands in an attempt to stop the fans whistling after the club initially trailed 2-1."Sometimes players are free to express their feelings. He always says what he thinks," Ramos said.

"When we needed support most from the fans we got whistles, sometimes you need a little love."People single you out when they think you're not giving your all. When they see you giving it all you have they don't get on your case.

"If you're losing to Rayo after 10 minutes in the Bernabeu, they get on top of you and try to get a reaction out of the players. Some people even say that we could have lost, but I have no doubt that we’d have got it back."

 

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Silva: Man City experience crucial in title race

David Silva believes Manchester City's Premier League-winning experience could be crucial in deciding the fate of this season's title.

City are currently locked in a three-way battle with Arsenal and unlikely leaders Leicester City, who confirmed top spot for Christmas with a 3-2 win at Everton on Saturday.

Silva's City take on Arsenal on Monday and the Spain international believes the game will see two genuine contenders going head to head, though he has refused to rule out the challenge from Claudio Ranieri's Foxes.

"It is an important game but not one that will define anything. Arsenal are clearly a very strong team but Leicester are playing very well, so both really are direct rivals," Silva told the Guardian.

"You can't discount Leicester because they are producing great performances every week. They are confident and winning their games.

"Perhaps Arsenal's players have the edge [over Leicester] in experience, they have everything they need to challenge for the title and they have some players coming back from injury, too."

But when it comes to title-winning experience, City are clearly in front of the other two in recent years, having won the Premier League twice in the last four seasons, and Silva believes that such history breeds confidence.

"When you know you have done it already it gives you confidence," Silva said.

"You can use the experience to keep on winning."

 

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Simeone unworried by Malaga setback

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone insisted he was not concerned after his side missed the chance to claim top spot in La Liga by losing 1-0 to Malaga.

With Barcelona at the Club World Cup, the visitors knew that even a point at La Rosaleda would be enough to see them replace the Catalan giants as league leaders.

But instead, a heavily-deflected, 86th-minute strike from Brazilian striker Charles condemned them to their first defeat in 16 games in all competitions.While admitting his side were second best, Simeone insisted he was untroubled by the positional ramifications of the defeat.

"It doesn't worry me at all," he said.

"When a team plays well and the other team can't find a way through, they lose the game. We won't look for excuses."It would be easy to do so to justify why we didn't play well today."But we must congratulate our opponents because they played an intense match and won well."

The Argentine also refused to use Gabi's red card as an excuse for his side's defeat.The defensive midfielder picked up two yellow cards in the space of just five minutes shortly after the break, the second for a handball.

"The referee saw it," said Simeone. "He'd already been booked, there's nothing to say about it."We're not looking for excuses; Malaga played better."

Atletico return to action on December 30 when they visit Rayo Vallecano, who were thumped 10-2 by Real Madrid earlier on Sunday.

 

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Kane: Next year will be even better

Harry Kane says he hopes to better his achievements in 2015 in the next calendar year.

The Tottenham striker scored his 30th goal of the year in his side's 2-0 win over Southampton on Saturday, as Mauricio Pochettino's men moved into the Premier League top four.

Kane struggled for goals in the early stages of the season - going six games without a goal before finally netting in the 4-1 win over Manchester City in September - but has now scored 10 in his last 11 appearances in all competitions, and he is keen for even more.

"[Thirty] is a nice round number but it doesn’t stop here," he said.

"It’s been a fantastic year, I’ve loved every minute of it. But it doesn’t stop me working hard, I’m looking to next year now to be even better.

"Hopefully 2016 is even better. I’m 22, I’m looking to get better and better as I get older and more experienced. The team is looking very good at the moment.

"We have to keep working hard. I’m very happy the way things are going and hopefully 2016 brings more success and joy. It’s going to be a big year for us."

Kane is currently the fifth-highest scorer in the top-flight - behind Jamie Vardy, Romelu Lukaku, Riyad Mahrez and Odion Ighalo - and the England striker has hailed his compatriot Vardy, who netted in 11 consecutive games earlier this term.

"Jamie has been doing great, full credit to him. All the other strikers have been trying to keep up with him," Kane said.

"He has set the standard high for us. I’m slowly sneaking up the goal tally.”