..::Football III::..

[Wolverine GTR]

Barcelona 4-1 Valladolid: Alexis at the double as Catalans maintain perfect record

Two Alexis Sanchez goals helped Barcelona win their 19th consecutive home match in la Liga with a routine 4-1 victory over Valladolid on Saturday night.

The Spanish champions were without the injured Lionel Messi, but the Chile international stepped up in his place as he equalised with a wonderful strike after Javi Guerra's surprise opener.

Valladolid caused their hosts problems in the first half, but it was one-way traffic in the second period as Xavi, Sanchez and Neymar completed the rout to extend their 100 per cent start to the league season.

After their battling win over Celtic in the Champions League, Gerardo Martino made only three changes as Alex Song, Alexis and Cristian Tello replaced Sergio Busquets, Pedro and Andres Iniesta.

Valladolid's last match saw them draw 2-2 with Malaga and Juan Ignacio Martinez reintroduced Zakarya Bergdich, Omar Ramos and Fausto Rossi into his starting XI.

The visitors took a surprising 10th-minute lead at Camp Nou as Guerra rose above Adriano to head Patrick Ebert's corner for his fourth league goal of the season, but it did not last long.

Barcelona drew level within four minutes as Alexis marched towards the area and drilled a fearsome strike into the top corner of the goal.

The home fans were incensed around the half-hour mark as Carlos Pena blatantly tripped Neymar inside the area, but referee Jesus Gil made the questionable decision to give the hosts nothing.

Barca were left frustrated as Sanchez screwed a shot wide and Xavi blazed a free-kick over the crossbar to send the sides in level at the break.

Valladolid came out after half-time undoubtedly looking to keep things tight initially, but Barcelona took the lead within seven minutes.

Neymar surged at the Valladolid defence before picking out Tello to his left, and the winger crossed low into the area for Xavi to direct the ball into the bottom far corner.

A few moments later, Tello was involved again as he cut in from the left, but this time he went for goal himself only for his effort to crash off the crossbar.

Barca did add a third in the 64th minute, however. After an excellent through-ball from Neymar, Alexis cruised into the area and confidently fired past Diego Marino.

Six minutes later their roles were reversed. Alexis found himself played into the area, but instead of shooting the Chilean squared to Neymar, who calmly placed a shot into the bottom corner.

The vibrant Neymar went in search of his second of the match as he cut in from the left, but he sent his effort comfortably over Marino's crossbar and Alexis headed straight at the keeper as the hosts were made to settle for their three-goal triumph.

 

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Sunderland 1-2 Manchester United: Januzaj double tops dream league debut

Manchester United debutant Adnan Januzaj struck twice as David Moyes' side came from behind to earn all three points at Sunderland.


The 18-year-old Belgian struck twice in six second-half minutes to ease the pressure on United boss David Moyes and leave managerless Sunderland bottom and still searching for their first league win of the season.

Sunderland had capitalised on some poor United defending early in the match to take the lead through Craig Gardner, but were made to rue missed opportunities as United's latest young star stole the show.

Januzaj opened his account in the 55th minute as he met a low cross from Patrice Evra and fired past Keiren Westwood from close range.His second – which saw him become only the second United player after Ruud van Nistelrooy to score twice on his first Premier League start - came just after the hour mark with a crisp left-foot volley that nestled in the bottom corner.

Robin van Persie returned to league action having been on the bench for United's defeat to West Brom last weekend, Wayne Rooney started despite missing their midweek Champions League clash with Shakhtar Donetsk.

Caretaker manager Kevin Ball made two changes to the Sunderland side beaten by Liverpool, with Ondrej Celustka and Valentin Roberge coming in for Sebastian Larsson and Carlos Cuellar.The home side made the perfect start with five minutes gone as Gardner took advantage of some poor defending from United to open the deadlock.

Emanuele Giaccherini fired a low cross from the right-hand side, Phil Jones and Nemanja Vidic both failed to clear the danger and Gardner pounced from seven yards out.Januzaj and Nani were the biggest threat for the visitors and both spurned first-half chances.

Nani was first to send a long-range effort towards goal but his shot was wide, while Januzaj missed the target from the edge of the penalty area after neatly turning away from two defenders.

Sunderland had a fantastic opportunity to double their lead in the 34th minute but Giaccherini was denied by an excellent save from David De Gea. The Italian met a left-wing cross from Adam Johnson but the Spaniard made a save diving to his right.

Nani continued to be the main danger for United and he forced the first save out of Westwood in the 41st minute after meeting a Rafael da Silva cross. Sunderland failed to clear the cross and the Portugal international fired towards goal from a tight angle but the goalkeeper pushed it wide.

United got themselves level 10 minutes into the second half through the impressive Januzaj, who fed the ball out to Evra on the left and was perfectly placed to convert the Frenchman's cross from inside the penalty area.Van Persie tested Westwood with a low shot soon after but it was Januzaj who fired them ahead just after the hour.

Former United defender John O'Shea failed to clear a Nani cross from the right and the Belgian volleyed the loose ball across Westwood and into the bottom corner.

United should have extended their lead late on but Van Persie missed a clear sight of goal with a poor finish wide of Westwood's goal.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Levante 2-3 Real Madrid: Ronaldo rescues Blancos right at the death

Cristiano Ronaldo scored an injury-time winner as Real Madrid twice came from behind in a dramatic 3-2 victory over Levante on Saturday night.

Going into the match, Levante coach Joaquin Caparros had only won a single league match against Real from a possible 12 and his side looked capable of improving on that run as they took a 57th-minute lead through Baba Diawara.

Ramos levelled things before Nabil El Zhar restored the hosts' lead in the 86th minute, but Alvaro Morata and Ronaldo scored to give Real what looked like an unlikely win.

The hosts came into the fixture unbeaten in their last six and coach Joaquin Caparros made just the three changes from their win over Osasuna, as David Navarro, Jordi Xumetra and Andreas Ivanschitz returned.

Carlo Ancelotti continued his rotation policy as he made five changes from the Champions League win over Copenhagen in midweek.

Iker Casillas, Pepe, Marcelo, Dani Carvajal and Asier Illarramendi all dropped to the bench, as Diego Lopez, Alvaro Arbeloa, Ramos, Fabio Coentrao and Isco came into the side.

Levante started the match confidently and on-loan Sevilla forward Diawara tried to catch former team-mate Lopez off his line with an effort from around 35 yards, but the shot flew just over.

A minute before the break Lopez was the visitors' saviour as Baba hit a ferocious half-volley towards goal from range, but the keeper tipped it over the bar in dramatic fashion.

After cutting in from the right, Ronaldo struck the outside of the post in the 53rd minute with a left-footed shot and Levante made the most of their luck by opening the scoring.

Xumetra chipped a wonderful diagonal pass over the Madrid defence and Baba guided the ball past Lopez for only his second Liga goal since May 2012.

They were not ahead for long, however, as Real restored parity in the 61st minute. Di Maria whipped an inviting corner towards the back post and Ramos stuck a foot out to direct it past Keilor Navas and into the goal.

Ancelotti's side were piling on the pressure by the 70th minute and Marcelo should have given them the lead, but he somehow missed the target from eight yards out following an excellent cutback from substitute Alvaro Morata.

El Zhar looked to have won the match for Levante with four minutes left as he held off his marker before shooting past Lopez, but the hosts would end up disappointed.

Morata showed quick feet in the area before firing past Navas and then Ronaldo appeared in stoppage time to find the net via a wicked deflection, extending their unbeaten run away from home to 11 matches.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Monaco 2-1 Saint-Etienne: Super sub Ocampos scores winner for table-toppers

Monaco substitute Lucas Ocampos proved to be the matchwinner and denied a spirited Saint-Etienne a point in Saturday's 2-1 win to the hosts.

Yannick Ferreira-Carrasco opened the scoring early in the game from inside the 18-yard box but the Rouge et Blanc were pegged back four minutes into the second half when Romain Hamouma equalised for the Verts.

Claudio Ranieri's men were struggling to fashion chances for an equaliser but late arrival Ocampos slotted in a James Rodriguez cross at the far post to seal all three points in the table-toppers' favour.

The hosts started the stronger, with Rodriguez, Ferreira-Carasco and Radamel Falcao taking the game to Saint-Etienne. An awful back-pass from Renaud Cohade rolled straight to the feet of Rodriguez who was denied by a super save from goalkeeper Stephane Ruffier.

But, in the 11th minute, Christopher Galtier's men were behind when Rodriguez threads through-ball behind the back four of the visitors and Belgian attacker Ferreira-Carasco finishes when one-on-one with Ruffier.

Monaco allowed their opposition space to work their way back into the game but remained the more dominant side as the half drew to a close, despite Franck Tabanou and Romain Hamouma testing the hosts' defence.

After half-time, though, the Rouge et Blanc were unable to keep a clean sheet any longer. Cohade played a fine pass inside the box after Faouzi Ghoulam's graft to Hamouma, who deftly equalised for the visitors.

The game became more even after the goal and either side could have been considered potential victors, though the final 20 minutes saw a surge in chances for Monaco.

Defeat for Ranieri's men would have guaranteed surrendering the top spot in Ligue 1 to either Olympique de Marseille or Paris Saint-Germain this weekend and they pressed hard for all three points late on, with Ferreira-Carasco, Falcao and Joao Moutinho causing problems for Saint-Etienne.

But it was substitute Ocampos, who came on with eight minutes to go, who made the difference for the principality club, notching in from six yards with fewer than four minutes to goat the Stade Louis II.

The win means that Monaco go top of the Ligue 1 table, but PSG can displace them with a three-goal-or-more victory over Marseille in Sunday's Classique.

 

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Cardiff 1-2 Newcastle: Remy double delivers victory

Newcastle claimed a vital three points away to Cardiff with a 2-1 win thanks largely to two first-half goals from Loic Remy. The French striker put his side ahead with a 20-yard strike after 30 minutes, before doubling the lead with a superb side-footed finish after a David Marshall parry soon after.

Cardiff clawed one back after the break through Peter Odemwingie, but could not make amends for a first half which saw them dominated by the visitors.

The victory was Newcastle's seventh consecutive win over their Welsh opponents - a record that stretches back to 1981.

Cardiff were unchanged from the side that picked up a 2-1 victory at Fulham last weekend, meaning there was no place for former Newcastle man Craig Bellamy, while Alan Pardew made three changes from Monday night's breathless 3-2 defeat to Everton.

Yohan Cabaye was reintroduced to the starting line-up alongside Mike Williamson and Papiss Cisse, with Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, Vurnon Anita and Hatem Ben Arfa dropped to the bench.

Fraizer Campbell put visiting goalkeeper Tim Krul under pressure in the opening minutes, but squandered a chance to capitalise on the Dutchman's careless run off his goal-line by slipping at the crucial moment.

But, as Newcastle began to settle into the tie, Marshall showed lightning-quick reactions to superbly deny Remy from close range before the Frenchman's weak effort was gratefully gathered by the Scot.

However, after half an hour, Remy found the net at the third attempt. The Frenchman picked up the ball on the left wing, before bringing it inside and drilling a low strike beyond a fully-stretched Marshall from 20 yards.

Remy then doubled his side's lead eight minutes later - reacting quickest to a parried Cisse effort to guide the ball into the bottom-right corner of the net from the edge of the penalty area for a fifth goal in his last three Premier League appearances.

The visitors could have been three up before the break, but Cabaye's audacious 30-yard free kick struck the bottom of the right post.

Malky McKay brought on last week's goal hero Jordon Mutch for the second half, and his presence in the Cardiff midfield proved the catalyst for an improved second-half display.

The hosts were able to pull one back just before the hour mark. Aron Gunnarsson showed good pace down the left, before finding Odemwingie in space in the area, and the striker showed great patience in waiting for the perfect opportunity to send the ball beyond Krul.

Newcastle had a chance to restore their lead just moments later when Moussa Sissoko attempted to apply the finish to a promising counter-attacking move, but Marshall was on hand to deny the midfielder.

There was some outrage among the visiting fans as Remy was withdrawn with 20 minutes left to play, although the in-form forward had taken a knock.

Mutch had a late chance to pull the hosts level, but Krul got down well to smother, before claims of handball against Andrew Taylor at the other end were waved away by referee Kevin Friend as the hosts slipped to their second consecutive home defeat.

 

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Hull City 0-0 Aston Villa: Bore draw keeps both sides in top half

Hull City continued their fine start to life back in the Premier League with a 0-0 draw at home against Aston Villa.

The point shared between the sides sees them both remain in the top half of the table following a game which had very few goalscoring chances.

The sides came into the match in confident mood, Villa having sensationally come from behind to defeat Manchester City 3-2 seven days ago, and both were searching for a third consecutive Premier League win.

Returning Villa forward Gabriel Agbonlahor produced a stinging shot to draw a fine first-half save from Allan McGregor but, in truth, the Hull goalkeeper and his opposite number Brad Guzan enjoyed relatively untroubled afternoons.

Before that opening, Hull’s Danny Graham might have converted Ahmed Elmohamady's right-wing cross but the former Swansea striker failed to do so and his goal drought extended to 24 matches in all competitions.

Stephen Quinn came into the Hull midfield to replace Robbie Brady after the side's top scorer underwent hernia surgery this week.

Agbonlahor and Ashley Westwood returned from respective ankle and thigh complaints to bolster Aston Villa's bid for three consecutive wins for the first time since April 2010.

Andreas Weimann netted the winner against City last Saturday and the Austrian forward might have added to his season tally when Elmohamady failed to deal with Fabian Delph's third-minute cross.

Hull spent large parts of the opening exchanges out of possession, but Villa right-back Leandro Bacuna was forced to clear over his own crossbar after Sone Aluko cleverly released Graham down the right channel in the 15th minute.

Shortly afterwards another quality delivery from the Villa left, this time by Elmohamady, asked further questions but Graham could not convert with Ron Vlaar in close attendance.

Villa responded and McGregor had to be at full stretch to palm Agbonlahor's 20-yard drive behind.

Westwood was perhaps fortunate to escape with a yellow card 10 minutes before the interval after tangling with Tom Huddlestone and swiping an arm across the towering midfielder's face.

Agbonlahor came agonisingly close to breaking the deadlock seven minutes after the restart, angling Weimann's cutback narrowly past the post following a superb driving run down the left flank from Bacuna.

At the other end, Ciaran Clark timed his challenge well to deny Aluko, although the former Rangers man might have struck first time and he was replaced by Yannick Sagbo as the game entered its final quarter.

Hull left-back Maynor Figueroa sent a ball skidding across the edge of the Villa area in the 70th minute to find Elmohamady, who sliced wastefully wide.

A nasty clash of heads forced running repairs for Hull defender Curtis Davies and visiting striker Libor Kozak, while Villa boss Paul Lambert sent on Aleksandar Tonev and Jordan Bowery for Westwood and Agbonlahor in search of a final push in the last 15 minutes that ultimately failed to materialise for either side.

Hull sit eighth in the Premier League table, a point and a place better off than their opponents after seven matches.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Liverpool 3-1 Crystal Palace: Suarez & Sturridge star in Anfield cruise

Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge extended their fruitful partnership as Liverpool went top of the Premier League with a 3-1 win over Crystal Palace.

The attacking duo both scored in the comprehensive victory at Anfield, taking their record to 12 goals between them in nine Premier League appearances.

Liverpool now move to the summit of the table with Arsenal not due to play until Sunday.

The hosts made the perfect start as Suarez first slotted home after neat interplay with Jose Enrique before a superb solo effort from Sturridge doubled the advantage on 17 minutes.

Steven Gerrard then added a third from the penalty spot six minutes before half-time to essentially wrap up the points, although Dwight Gayle grabbed a consolation with a near-post header in the second half.

Brendan Rodgers brought in Raheem Sterling for the suspended Lucas Leiva, while Ian Holloway named Jason Puncheon and Cameron Jerome in Palace's starting XI.

Liverpool made the brighter start but could have been behind had Jerome done better with his eight-yard header from Puncheon's lofted cross.

It was one-way traffic from that early scare, however, as two goals in four minutes put the hosts in control.

Suarez first played a neat one-two with Enrique in the box and, despite slipping, managed to keep his balance to slot home beyond Julian Speroni.

The home fans were celebrating again in the 17th minute with a fine individual effort from Sturridge.

The England international striker tormented Joel Ward on the left before firing powerfully across goal into the far corner.

Palace pushed to get back into the game and Jimmy Kebe took ownership of a long ball before nudging an effort towards goal that Kolo Toure cleared off the line.

But Liverpool then made it 3-0 from the penalty spot in the 39th minute. Sterling played a one-two with Suarez and was tugged down by Dean Moxey just inside the area.

Gerrard duly dispatched the spot-kick hard to the Speroni's right.

Soon after Suarez once again teased the Palace defence and crossed for Victor Moses from the byline, but the Chelsea loanee saw the ball flick off his foot and hit the crossbar.

Mamadou Sakho nearly extended Liverpool's advantage immediately after the break when he powered a header wide from Gerrard's corner.

Liverpool continued to dominate possession but were frustrated in their attempts for a fourth.

Gayle wasted a great chance to reduce the deficit when he hit a fierce 20-yard strike over the bar, but with 15 minutes remaining Palace did pull one back as the forward flicked home a near-post header from Jose Campana's header.

Sturridge then hit the post in the closing stages as Liverpool looked good value for a victory that moves them back to the top of the Premier League and consigns Palace to a fourth consecutive league defeat.

 

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Borussia Monchengladbach 2-0 Borussia Dortmund: Two late goals condemn Klopp & Co to defeat

Borussia Dortmund were beaten for the first time in the Bundesliga this season as Borussia Monchengladbach scored twice in the final 10 minutes to win 2-0.

The match remained goalless until the 81st minute when Mats Hummels was sent off and a penalty given in the hosts' favour and converted by in-form forward Max Kruse, before Raffael added insult to injury four minutes from time.

Goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen had earlier denied Dortmund, who struck the crossbar in between goals from Kruse and Raffael, with a string of fine saves as Monchengladbach executed an excellent late smash and grab.

Monchengladbach coach Lucien Favre named just one change from last weekend's 2-2 drew at Augsburg, with Granit Xhaka replacing Christoph Kramer.

Jurgen Klopp also made one alteration from the side that beat Marseille 3-0 in the Champions League on Tuesday, Roman Weidenfeller returning in goal in place of Mitchell Langerak.

Dortmund were the first to threaten in the fifth minute, Marco Reus curling his effort narrowly over the bar after latching on to a loose ball inside the area.

Ten minutes later the visitors were denied by a superb save from Ter Stegen, who thwarted Hummels from six yards after parrying Kevin Grosskreutz's long-range effort.

Klopp's men were making all the running in the opening stages and Ter Stegen was called into action once more in the 23rd minute, palming away Grosskreutz's stinging shot from 25 yards.

Dortmund went close again five minutes later, Reus sliding in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, but his left-footed effort from a tight angle flashed just wide of the post.

Reus then drove into the box in the 33rd minute, but the Germany international dragged his shot a yard wide of Ter Stegen's right-hand upright.

Five minutes before the break, Nuri Sahin's powerful drive was beaten away by the keeper as it remained scoreless at half-time.

The opening stages of the second half were much more even and the hosts should have taken the lead on the hour mark, but Oscar Wendt fired wide from 15 yards after good work by Kruse down the left.

Two minutes later, Ter Stegen was called into serious action for the first time since the break, tipping Reus' vicious dipping effort over the bar.

The visitors were suddenly looking dangerous once again, Hummels heading wide from Reus' right-wing corner midway through the half.

With 10 minutes to go, however, Kruse gave Monchengladbach the lead from the spot, sending Weidenfeller the wrong way after Hummels saw red for a professional foul on Nordtveit.

Dortmund almost responded immediately, Reus striking the bar with a free kick, before Raffael put the game beyond doubt, stroking the ball past Weidenfeller after being played in on the right-hand side.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Manchester City 3-1 Everton: Aguero inspires instant response to Bayern beating

Manchester City moved back into the top four of the Premier League with a convincing 3-1 win over Everton on Saturday.


Manuel Pellegrini's men headed into the game on the back of consecutive defeats against Aston Villa and Bayern Munich.

Everton were looking for their fourth win in five matches, and they made the perfect start when on-loan striker Romelu Lukaku scored the opener.

City quickly turned things around, though, Alvaro Negredo and Sergio Aguero overturning the deficit before half-time.

And a superb performance was capped off in the 15 minutes from time when the unfortunate Tim Howard deflected an Aguero penalty into his own net as the visitors lost in the league for the first time this season.

City made five changes to the side beaten 3-1 by Bayern on Wednesday, Pablo Zabaleta and Aleksandar Kolarov replacing Micah Richards and Gael Clichy in defence, while James Milner, David Silva and Negredo came in for Jesus Navas, Samir Nasri and Edin Dzeko.

Everton were without Gareth Barry, the on-loan midfielder ineligible to play against his parent club, with Steven Naismith taking his place in the starting XI.

The hosts did the most of the early pressing as Yaya Toure forced a good save from Howard with a curling effort, before Kolarov fired narrowly wide from a free kick.

However, Everton took the lead somewhat against the run of play after 16 minutes when Lukakau netted his third goal in two games, the Belgian collecting a long ball from Phil Jagielka before turning inside Joleon Lescott and slotting the ball under Joe Hart.

The England goalkeeper has come under fire after a series of mistakes in recent matches and may feel that he could have done better with the shot, which crept under his outstretched arm.

Everton's advantage lasted just over a minute, though, City levelling as Negredo found the net from close range following an incisive pass from Toure.

City should have seized the initiative midway through the first half, Aguero somehow shooting wide of the target at the end of a well-worked free kick between Toure and Silva.

Pellegrini's charges suffered a blow 12 minutes before the break when Vincent Kompany - who made his return to fitness last month - was forced off through injury.

City continued to push forward as they looked to complete the turnaround, Aguero spurning a number of chances in the closing stages of the opening period.

Still, he was not to be denied and 44 minutes in he put City in front with a precise right-footed finish at the near post after latching on to a pass from Silva.

Pellegrini was forced into another change in the early stages of the second half, Kolarov replaced by Clichy after sustaining a cut in a collision with team-mate Matija Nastasic.

City dictated the play in the second half without creating any clear-cut chances, but they were handed an opportunity to finish the game off when Seamus Coleman brought down Zabaleta inside the area.

And it was one that Aguero did not pass up as his penalty eventually found the bottom corner after deflecting off both the post and goalkeeper Howard to all but end the game as a contest.

James McCarthy went close with a header from point-blank range but Everton otherwise struggled to mount any significant response as the Premier League's last unbeaten run came to an end.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Bayer Leverkusen 1-1 Bayern Munich: Bavarians go top despite draw

Bayer Leverkusen were indebted to goalkeeper Bernd Leno as they survived a Bayern Munich onslaught to hold out for a 1-1 draw at the BayArena.

Toni Kroos opened the scoring for Bayern in the first half on Saturday before Sidney Sam, scorer of the winner when the sides met in Munich last season, equalised less than 60 seconds later following an error by Manuel Neuer.

That defeat to Leverkusen was the last time Bayern had lost in the league, but they never looked like losing again - dominating their hosts from start to finish - but they were unable to find a winner against a stubborn home rear-guard.

The result took Munich one point clear of Borussia Dortmund at the Bundesliga summit, while Leverkusen remain in third, level on points with Jurgen Klopp's side.

Leverkusen boss Sami Hyypia made three changes to the side that beat Real Sociedad in midweek, including Emre Can against his former club in place of Roberto Hilbert, while Bayern made just one change from Wednesday night's crushing of Manchester City.

And the Bavarians started the match where they left off in Manchester, dominating Leverkusen in the early stages.

Pep Guardiola's side could have been 2-0 up within the first 10 minutes, with first Kroos then Thomas Muller dragging efforts wide of the goal when they really should both have hit the target.

Franck Ribery went close after 18 minutes, outmuscling Lars Bender before drilling a low 20-yard shot just wide of Leno's right post.

For the opening goal Ribery turned provider, skinning Leverkusen centre-back Omer Toprak before pulling back to Kroos, who hammered home a left-footed shot.

The hosts had barely been in the game, but they equalised almost immediately following a mistake by Neuer, who flapped at a cross giving Sebastian Boenisch a chance to score. Neuer saved well but the rebound fell at the feet of Sam, who slotted into an empty net.

Despite the equaliser, Bayern's pressure continued unabated and Muller had a brilliant chance to equalise after Ribery and David Alaba combined well on the left to find the German, but he inexplicably headed wide with an open goal gaping as the sides went in at the break level.

The second half began with a penalty shout for Bayern turned down by the referee, who had failed to spot the blatant shirt pull by Toprak on Muller.

Ribery then had efforts saved by Leno in as many minutes, the first a blistering left-footed volley, as Bayern continued to turn the screw.

As the clock ticked down Guardiola brought on Arjen Robben. The Dutchman had a free-kick well saved, then shot from long range straight at Leno, while Muller's header from Alaba's cross was blocked.

The visitors, however, could find no way through and Hyypia's men held out for an excellent point, as Giulio Donati made sure of the result in stoppage time, heading Bastian Schweinsteiger's goalbound header off the line.

 

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Neymar is like Messi, says Martino

Gerardo Martino saluted Neymar as being just as influential for Barcelona as talisman Lionel Messi following the team's 4-1 triumph over Valladolid.

The Argentina international missed the match due to injury but his fellow South American slotted into the No.10's role seamlessly.

And it was the Brazilian prodigy's impact, in conjunction with Alexis Sanchez and Christian Tello's form, that had Martino purring after the game.

"He [Neymar] is a player that, like Messi, no matter whether he plays left, right or centre, always plays well," Martino enthused to reporters.

"Neymar dominates every facet of the game and keeps striving to improve. In two months, he has integrated into our system. It is very difficult to find such players of his age.

"Alexis knows the opinion I have of him as a player. I had said I wanted to see the Sanchez that played for Marcelo Bielsa's Chile. He played an excellent game today.

"Tello played a fine, he created various situations for us and made a decisive goal for us. It isn't easy for him as he's played less minutes."

Martino is the first coach in the history of la Liga to win his opening eight matches but he was more satisfied with the way in which his side had responded to falling behind early on.

"In the first part of the game we lacked intensity but I liked the second half my team put on, we had control of the game," the 50-year-old concluded.

"I always had the feeling we were in charge. We only have to improve on the first 20 minutes."

 

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Garcia: Totti one of the best in history

Rudi Garcia has hailed Francesco Totti as one of the game's finest, after the striker put in a masterful shift to inspire Roma to a 3-0 victory against Inter on Saturday.

The 37-year-old attacker has been in scintillating form this season and put two past Samir Handanovic to maintain the Giallorossi's lead at the summit of the Serie A standings, as well as their 100 per cent winning record.

"We have a leader in attack and he showed the way," the Frenchman told reporters after the game at the Giuseppe Meazza.

"Totti is one of the best players in the history of football and to see him so happy is wonderful.

Roma's perfect start to the season is in stark contrast to their form last season, when they finished sixth and lost to Lazio in the Coppa Italia final.

And though remaining cautious about his team's Scudetto prospects, Garcia was encouraged by the dominant display put in at the San Siro.

"The side has confidence, the players believe in themselves and that is very important," he continued.

"I liked the collective spirit of the team, but we also played with heart when needed and played like men tonight.

"The team also showed mental strength in the second half and that was important, seeing a side that never gives up. I liked it and that will be important for the future.

"I liked the collective spirit of the team, but we also played with heart when needed and played like men tonight.

"The Scudetto? It's still a long way to the end of the season."

The Olimpico outfit have now recorded seven consecutive Serie A victories and crucially sit five points clear of reigning champions Juventus, who face AC Milan on Sunday.

 

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Madrid can always win a match in five minutes - Ancelotti


Carlo Ancelotti heaped praise on his Real Madrid side following their sensational 3-2 triumph over Levante on Saturday.

Los Blancos twice hauled themselves level through Sergio Ramos and Alvaro Morata before Cristiano Ronaldo fired home the winner in Valencia with just 30 seconds to go.

"Our first half wasn’t too good but the second half turned out differently," Ancelotti told reporters after the match. "When Real Madrid play well, we can win a match in five minutes.

"It was important for us to get a victory. We didn’t play fantastic football but we did deserve to win. And when you have players who battle and never give in, there’s always a chance to improve.

"The players made a huge sacrifice and never surrendered."

Morata and Jese Rodriguez played key roles in the come-from-behind win and Ancelotti says that the young duo will continue to see plenty of game time under him, even suggesting that the former could occasionally be selected ahead of Karim Benzema.

"They don’t need to convince me because I already have faith in them," the 54-year-old explained. "Morata scored and Jese looked dangerous when he got the ball.

"They both showed great enthusiasm when they came on. I have the same confidence in them as I had before tonight’s game.

"It [starting Morata] could happen, although he hasn’t got Benzema’s experience. He’s an important player for us and he’s doing really well."

The win ensures Madrid maintain pace with front-runners Barcelona at the top of the Primera Liga, after the Catalans' 4-1 victory over Vallodolid.

 

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Diego Costa is a great striker, says Courtois

Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has lauded team-mate Diego Costa on his sensational start to the season.

The 25-year-old striker has filled Radamel Falcao's boots admirably following the latter's summer departure for Monaco, scoring eight goals in only seven games.

Spain coach Vincente Del Bosque has successfully persuaded the Brazil native to declare for la Roja and Courtois believes the forward will excel at international level.

"Diego is a great striker," he told reporters. "He is always difficult to stop in training. We'll see which country he chooses to play for but it is up to him who he wants to play for."

Courtois also hailed the cosmopolitan nature of the Rojiblancos squad, which he believes has contributed to his side's fine start to the season.

"For Atletico it is good that we have so many internationals, but not just for Spain," the keeper continued.

"I and Tony Alderweireld play for Belgium, there is Arda Turan, there are the Uruguayans. This means we are doing things right and we need more work like that.

"We now need to work well with humility and with our feet on the ground."

Diego Simeone's men are on a roll with five consecutive Primera Division victories, the highlight being last week's 1-0 victory over local rivals Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.

 

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Mourinho: I am the best coach in Madrid history

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has proclaimed himself the best coach in Real Madrid's history.

The Portuguese parted company with the captial club during the summer, after a tumultous final season at the Santiago Bernabeu.

However, when it comes to assessing his three-year stint in Madrid, Mourinho believes that the numbers he achieved speak for themselves.

"100 points, 121 goals, we were champions against the best Barcelona there ever has been," the two-time Champions League winner told ESPN of the 2011-12 season.

"Who is the manager of the best Real Madrid team in history? That’s me. I am the one."

Asked whether he felt his teams were defensive, Mourinho rejected the notion outright.

"Real Madrid was a defensive team? We scored 121 goals and got 100 points," he countered.

"My teams are great teams. My teams are built to win. You have to be dominant to win more than not so that is what my teams try to be.

"My teams are the ones with all the goal records. I am the champion of the League of Records. That is my place in history."

Mourinho won a Primera Liga and Copa del Rey with Madrid, and reached three consecutive Champions League semi-finals.

 

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Klopp critical after Dortmund defeat

Jurgen Klopp lamented Borussia Dortmund's profligacy after Saturday's surprise 2-0 loss to Borussia Monchengladbach.

Die Schwarzgelben dominated for large spells but imploded in the final 10 minutes as Max Kruse and Raffael scored for the hosts, after Mats Hummels had earned his marching orders.

The loss prompted Klopp to demand his side - who subsequently surrended top spot in the Bundesliga following Bayern Munich's 1-1 draw at Bayer Leverkusen - become more clinical.

"We are self-critical and certainly believe that we have our share of this defeat," the 46-year-old coach admitted to reporters after the match. "We left the game open and left Monchengladbach alive."It was an unusual game. My team did exceptionally well for a long time, we put our opponents under pressure and counter-pressed well - but did not score.

Despite defeat, Klopp maintained his side could still take plenty from their performance and was wary of criticising the officials over Hummels' red card and the resulting penalty."The penalty, I have not seen on TV," he said. "With 10 men, it was hard, then came the second goal, and we lost.

"We will also take the positive things in the assessment, so the defeat hurts a little less."

Dortmund had surged to the top of the table after five consecutive opening league wins, but have now been usurped at the summit by Pep Guardiola's Bayern.

 

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Pellegrini impressed by Man City character


Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini hailed his side's "character" after they moved back into the Premier League top four with a 3-1 win over Everton.

Pellegrini's side fell behind to an early goal from Romelu Lukaku, but strikes from Alvaro Negredo, Sergio Aguero and an own goal from Tim Howard turned the game in City's favour.

The win came following consecutive defeats against Aston Villa and Bayern Munich, and Pellegrini was quick to express satisfaction at how his side responded to those setbacks.

When asked what impressed him about his team's display, Pellegrini told BT Sport: "The character of the team.

"It was not easy today to play against the only unbeaten team in the Premier League. It was not an easy game after what happened on Wednesday [against Bayern].

"The most important thing is the way you react, we reacted very, very well.

"We had at least four or five more chances to score, Everton didn't really have any other chances aside from the goal at the beginning."

City's away form has been disappointing so far this season, suffering defeats at Cardiff City and Aston Villa, while also dropping points at Stoke City.

And the Chilean is eager to atone for those disappointments after the upcoming international break, when City face trips to West Ham United and Chelsea.

"I think we have surrendered some points playing away," he added.

"When we come back from the international break we play two away games against West Ham and Chelsea, we must try to recover the points we have lost."

 

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Zidane convinced me to stay at Madrid - Jese

Jese has suggested that he might have left Real Madrid if not for club coach and legend Zinedine Zidane.

The forward, 20, was linked with a move away from the Blancos this summer after struggling to break into the Santiago Bernabeu first team under Jose Mourinho.

However, new head coach Carlo Ancelotti has pledged to use youngsters more liberally, though the Spain Under-21 international has revealed that it is one of the Italian's assistants - a Madrid icon - that was key to his stay.

"Zidane is the main reason why I am still at Real Madrid," the attacker told Minuto 116.

Competing with Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzima and Alvaro Morata for a starting berth has largely kept Jese restricted to a spot on the bench, though he is not fazed and wants to continue to work hard to impress Ancelotti.

"If I keep working day by day, opportunities will come," he added. "The coach is slowly trusting in me and that makes me happy."

Jese has made three appearances in all competitions for Real Madrid this season, with all three coming from the bench.

 

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Wenger warns title rivals: There is more to come from Arsenal

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has warned the Premier League title contenders that there is plenty more to come from his in-form team.

The Gunners sit at the top of the table following a 2-1 win at Swansea City gxand travel to West Brom on Sunday looking for what would be their 11th straight win in all competitions.

Wenger has attributed his side's recent run of form on a new-found self-belief and he expects the team to get even better as the season continues.

"For us it is important to maintain our consistent run and to continue to develop as a team because if you look at the broader picture we have had quite a good consistent run since March, but it is important of course that we continue to develop," Wenger told talkSPORT.

"I believe we can still do better, that there is more to come from us, but that will depend now on how much we want it and how hungry we are to improve.

"We have managed to get a better defensive stability, and afterwards maybe a turning point is our game at Bayern [Munich], when everybody expected us to be trounced, to lose by six or seven, and after that also the fact that we could manage a consistent run towards the end of the season; that convinced the players that we must have some qualities.

"I believe as well, the consistency of our results comes from a greater attitude of the players - but let's not forget we have won nothing and that is all to do. We have to continue to have that hunger attitude, to improve from game to game."

The Gunners have already faced West Brom this season, knocking them out of the Capital One Cup on penalties, and Wenger warned his team of the Baggies' threats following last weekend's 2-1 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford.

"It is a massive game for us and an exciting game as well, because both teams have full confidence and have quality," continued the Frenchman.

"We play with the same desire and the same attitude, and as well because we have a level of confidence that is there.

"But West Brom represents as well a good test for us because, on the back of an outstanding result at Manchester United, their confidence is certainly high as well, so it will be a very interesting test."

 

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'Facing Barcelona is like racing Bolt'

Valladolid boss Juan Ignacio Martinez claims trying to beat Barcelona is like taking on sprinter Usain Bolt at the Olympic Games.

The Liga champions play host to the Pucela on Saturday with a 100 per cent record in this season's Primera Division, and the 49-year-old is in no doubt as to the task at hand for his players this weekend.

"These games are marked in the calendar with a lot of excitement," he told a press conference.

"Things have been very difficult. I don't want to be pessimistic, but this is like going to the Olympics to face Usain Bolt. You have to face the challenge.

"We're a team that has to try things. We must express our personality with the ball; although it will be difficult with the pressure they put you under in every area [of the pitch]."

Lionel Messi is ruled out of the match with a thigh injury but Martinez believes Neymar is more than capable of filling the creative void left by the Argentine.

"They have plenty of alternatives, including Neymar, who gives the kind of thing which the Argentine brings. Messi is the best in the world and can make a difference, even when injured."