..::Football III::..

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Manchester United 1-0 Real Sociedad: Tight win eases pressure on Moyes

Manchester United continued their unbeaten start to the new Champions League campaign with a 1-0 win over Real Sociedad at Old Trafford on Wednesday night.


United took the lead in rather fortuitous circumstances, as Inigo Martinez lashed the ball into his own net after a dazzling run and shot from Wayne Rooney had bounced back off the woodwork.

The Red Devils failed to extend their lead despite dominating possession, leading to a nervous second period, but held on to claim all three points and cement their place at the top of Group A.

Still Man U need that kicking form to score more goals

 

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Bayer Leverkusen 4-0 Shakhtar Donetsk: Kiessling double helps bury Miners

Stefan Kiessling once again made the headlines as his double helped Bayer Leverkusen seal an emphatic victory over Shakhtar Donetsk in Group A.

Kiessling had been at the centre of controversy with a 'ghost goal' in his side's Bundesliga win over Hoffenheim last week, but there was no doubt about his strikes on Wednesday as he headed the Germans in front midway through the first half, before Simon Rolfes slotted home from the spot just after the break.

Sidney Sam added a third with a well-taken finish, before Kiessling poked home his second of the night with 18 minutes left to confirm the win.

The result extends Leverkusen's unbeaten run at home in the Champions League group stages to eight games, and leaves them just a point behind Group A leaders Manchester United.

Leverkusen coach Sami Hyypia made four changes to the side that beat Hoffenheim, with Emir Spahic, Giulio Donati, Emre Can and Son Heung-Min all handed starts. Lars Bender missed out with a thigh injury.

The visitors, who travelled to Germany on the back of a seven-game unbeaten run, made two changes, welcoming back captain Darijo Srna while Tomas Hubschman was preferred to Taras Stepanenko.

Leverkusen made the more encouraging start, with first Rolfes and then Sam testing Andriy Pyatov within the opening 10 minutes.

Much had been made of Shakhtar's attacking threat, but the visitors struggled to find to find any sort of rhythm during the early exchanges, although the hosts breathed a sigh of relief when Yaroslav Rakitsky sent an early free-kick just wide of the post.

Leverkusen continued to have the upper hand in the centre of the park, and they were rewarded for their efforts after 23 minutes when Kiessling rose brilliantly to meet Donati's whipped cross and head his side into the lead.

The in-form striker should have doubled his tally just before half-time, but could he not keep his header down this time.

Shakhtar were nearly level just a few seconds later when Alex Teixeira raced away from the defence before lashing his shot into the side-netting.

Leverkusen continued to press, though, and they increased their lead six minutes after the break when captain Rolfes slotted home from the spot, after Kiessling had been brought down by Srna.

Things soon got even better for the hosts when some slack defending allowed Sam to beat the offside trap and calmly slot home for his 11th goal in 15 games.

Shakhtar substitute Bernard should have found the net 10 minutes later, but he could not connect with Douglas Costa's low cross.

Kiessling continued to cause problems, and he was soon rewarded again for his fine performance 18 minutes from time, pouncing on a mistake by Pyatov to score from close range.

The hosts could have had a fifth late on, with both Can and Sam missing good opportunities, on what was otherwise a fantastic night for Hyypia's men.

Leverkusen Back in form

 

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Beating the BEST GOAL KEEPER

Congratzzzzzzzz

 

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Still Man U need that kicking form to score more goals

 

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Galatasaray 3-1 Copenhagen: Drogba & Sneijder ensure victory against Danes

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Anderlecht 0-5 Paris Saint-Germain: Sublime Ibrahimovic scores four as Parisiens run rampant

Ibra patta

 

[charitha chandi]

Anderlecht 0-5 Paris Saint-Germain: Sublime Ibrahimovic scores four as Parisiens run rampant

Patta Goals tika..!

 

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Ibra patta

 

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Yaya Toureta Monkey kiala Charm ekak dala CSKA Supporters la
Charter wade @@

 

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Uefa has charged CSKA Moscow with "racist behaviour of their fans" after Manchester City's Yaya Touré complained of monkey chants against him during the Champions League match in Moscow.

The Russian club have denied any racist abuse took place during Wednesday night's match but will face a disciplinary hearing next week.

A Uefa statement read: "Proceedings have been opened against CSKA Moscow for racist behaviour of their fans (article 14 of the UEFA disciplinary regulations) and for setting off of fireworks (article 16) at last night's Uefa Champions League group stage match in Moscow against Manchester City.

"The case will be dealt with by the Uefa control and disciplinary body on 30 October."

CSKA have already denied that their fans directed monkey chants at Touré saying they are "surprised and disappointed" by Manchester City's response. Their forward Seydou Doumbia even claimed that his Ivory Coast teammate was "clearly exaggerating" over the abuse.

A club statement said: "Having carefully studied the video of the game, we found no racist insults from fans of CSKA. In many occasions, especially during attacks on our goal, fans booed and whistled to put pressure on rival players, but regardless of their race.

"In particular, this happened with Alvaro Negredo and Edin Dzeko. Why the Ivorian midfielder took it as all being directed at him is not clear."

CSKA also quoted Doumbia as saying he did not hear any racist abuse. "I didn't hear anything like that from the CSKA fans. Yes, they're always noisy in supporting the team, and try to put as much pressure as possible on our opponents, but they wouldn't ever allow themselves to come out with racist chants. So my Ivory Coast colleague is clearly exaggerating."

The club's deputy media manager, Michael Sanadze, told Sky Sports News that "nothing special happened" despite the midfielder complaining of sustained racial abuse from the crowd during his side's win.

"There is no subject to discuss," Sanadze said. "Nothing special happened. There was a lot of noise in the stadium. Nobody else, other than Yaya Touré, heard anything. The only trouble that has come about was because Yaya Touré heard something."
Listen to Yaya Touré's interview on BBC Radio 5 Live Link to this audio

Uefa warned on Thursday that clubs will no longer escape with just fines if their supporters are guilty of discriminatory behaviour.

City's Ivory Coast midfielder called on the governing body to close the Moscow stadium as punishment for the abuse he suffered, and under the new rules a partial closure looks certain if the allegations are proved.

A first offence of racist behaviour by supporters carries a sanction of a partial stadium closure and a second offence leads to a full stadium closure plus a fine.

The referee Ovidiu Hategan failed to take any action despite Touré's complaint. Uefa's regulations state that the official should have stopped the game and asked for an announcement over the public address system for the chants to cease.

It has led to calls from anti-racism campaigners for the referee to be banned. "The referee should not be refereeing again," the Kick It Out chairman, Lord Ouseley, told BBC Radio 5 live. "He failed to do his duty last night and that is a clear issue that Uefa should be dealing with."

Touré said: "I'm not just disappointed, I'm furious. I'm very, very disappointed about what those fans have done and I think Uefa has to take action because players with the same colour of skin will always be in the same position.

"For me, as captain, I was wearing an armband which said 'no to racism' and I was totally disappointed. Maybe they could ban the stadium, I don't know, for a couple of years or a couple of months.

"It's stupid, these people. I don't know, it just happens in football. It's unbelievable. Uefa has to take action to right it otherwise I think they will just continue."

So far this season, Uefa has imposed full stadium bans on three clubs – Dinamo Zagreb of Croatia, Legia Warsaw of Poland and Honved of Hungary – for racist behaviour by their supporters while five other clubs have had partial stadium closures imposed. They are: Lazio (who were originally handed a full stadium closure that was reduced on appeal), Polish clubs Lech Poznan and Piast Gliwice, Apoel Nicosia of Cyprus and the Croatian team HNK Rijeka.

 

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Happy Birthday Wayne Rooney!

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Yaya Toureta Monkey kiala Charm ekak dala CSKA Supporters la
Charter wade @@

Ow bro owwa nam chater wada

 

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Valencia 5-1 St Gallen: Cartabia double lifts spirits at Mestalla

Fede Cartabia scored twice as Valencia romped to a 5-1 Europa League victory over Swiss side St. Gallen at Mestalla.

The Argentine starlet netted his first and second goals for the club as Miroslav Djukic’s side closed the gap behind Swansea City at the top of Group A to a solitary point.

The five-goal show gave the hosts a much-needed morale boost having lost to Real Sociedad in La Liga at the weekend.

It was Paco Alcacer who opened the scoring by tucking away a rebound before Cartabia netted twice in the space of nine minutes to have Valencia 3-0 ahead by the half-hour mark.

The winger’s first goal was a deflected effort before he took advantage of a goalkeeping error from Daniel Lopar, who endured a difficult night.

Ricardo Costa soon headed home a fourth and the fifth goal eventually arrived in the 71st minute when Sergio Canales capped off an impressive individual display by finding the net from a free-kick.

Stephane Nater’s goal for the visitors was scant consolation and they now sit four points adrift of Swansea, who drew 1-1 at home to Kuban Krasnodar in the group’s other game.

Speaking after the match, Djukic was understandably thrilled with his side’s performance.

The coach said: “We played a good, intense game and I’m happy because we restricted our rival to very few chances.

“Against Swansea we had a man sent off after 10 minutes and we felt that loss heavily. The team has recovered and competed well since then, but we are aware we have not won anything yet.

“Some players who did well tonight have shown the others in the squad that they will not be allowed to relax and be sure of their place in the team.”

 

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Wigan 1-1 Rubin Kazan: Powell saves point for Latics

Nick Powell's superb strike earned Wigan a 1-1 draw in the Europa League against Rubin Kazan on Thursday.

The Manchester United loanee, who scored twice in the 3-1 win over Maribor, earned the hosts a share of the spoils after they had fallen behind to Aleksandr Prudnikov's 15th-minute opener.

It was his fourth goal in as many matches at the DW Stadium and it took the Championship club one step closer to qualifying for the round of 32, with five points from three matches.

Kazan had won their opening two matches but could not build on their early lead as the Group D leaders had to settle for a point.

Wigan manager Owen Coyle opted to make five changes from the team that lost 1-0 to Blackpool at the weekend, with Jean Beausejour and Grant Holt among those drafted in.

There were also four changes for Rubin boss Kurban Berdyev from the 2-1 loss to Volga, with the 61-year-old freshening things up by adding striker Prudnikov and midfield duo Syarhey Kislyak and Roman Eremenko into the fold.

It was the home side that had the better chances of the opening spell, with Powell coming close to putting them ahead in the ninth minute with a fine volley that was blocked by Chris Mavinga, before Sergey Ryzhikov kept out the rebound.

They were made to rue the missed opportunity just five minutes later as Prudnikov fired home after some impressive link-up play from the visitors, with Mavinga picking him out well on the edge of the box.

Having conceded against the run of play, Wigan spurned a glorious opportunity to level the contest in the 25th minute as, following some skillful work from Ben Watson on the wing, Jordi Gomez fired over the crossbar when well placed.

Powell demonstrated greater composure when he got the ball on edge of the box in the 40th minute, though, with the 19-year-old placing his shot into the bottom corner to leave Ryzhikov with no chance.

The half-time break did not seem to do either team any favours as the game became increasingly drawn out, with the best opportunity of the early stages seeing Roman Eremenko drive a free kick into the Wigan wall.

Emerson Boyce took a tumble in the box a few minutes later but saw his ambitious appeals for a penalty waved away.

The hosts did eventually get another great chance to take the lead in the dying minutes, with a fine cross from Callum McManaman finding Marc-Antoine Fortune, who saw his effort superbly saved by Ryzhikov.

 

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Swansea City 1-1 Kuban Krasnodar: Late Cisse penalty denies hosts victory

A stoppage-time penalty from Kuban Krasnodar striker Djibril Cisse saw Swansea City throw away three points at the Liberty Stadium on Thursday night, though they remain top of Europa League Group A.

An otherwise dull contest sparked into life late on, as the Frenchman converted from the spot after Michu had combined brilliantly with compatriot Alejandro Pozuelo to open the scoring midway through the second half.

Swansea made six changes from the team that thrashed Sunderland 4-0 on Saturday, with Gerhard Tremmel and midfielder Jonjo Shelvey coming in, while Kuban manager Viktor Goncharenko recalled striker Cisse in one of his four alterations.

Goncharenko – taking charge of just his second match since replacing sacked Romanian Dorinel Munteanu – would have been pleased with his side's start but they struggled to create clear-cut opportunities.

And after Nathan Dyer forced Kuban goalkeeper Aleksandr Belenov into a smart save with a testing left-footed effort, Shelvey nearly gave Swansea the lead in the 21st minute.

The former Liverpool man combined well with Wilfried Bony and Michu before producing a good first touch, but shot wide from inside the penalty area, before Kuban enjoyed a terrific five-minute spell.

First Arsen Khubulov was released down the right, but saw his teasing cross – that had Cisse waiting to pounce – somehow turned over the bar by a desperate Chico Flores, before Maksim Zhavnerchik's 25-yard effort was pushed wide by Tremmel.

Shelvey fashioned another good chance for himself, after lifting the ball over Kuban defender Igor Armas, but he again shot wide, before Dwight Tiendalli was lucky to stay on the pitch.

The Swansea defender brought down Lorenzo Melgarejo when he looked to be through on goal, but referee Kristinn Jakobsson only produced a yellow card.

Cisse and Ivelin Popov had half-chances for Kuban shortly after the break before Swansea boss Michael Laudrup introduced Spanish pair Alvaro Vazquez and Angel Rangel in an attempt to change the match.

It was another Spaniard who gave Swansea the lead, however, as a patient passing move saw Michu net his fourth goal of the Europa League campaign to break the deadlock.

The striker was involved in the build-up, receiving the ball from Shelvey before playing in Pozuelo, and his clipped pass over the top exposed the Kuban defence, with Michu first to the ball as he stabbed past the on-rushing Belenov.

Swansea sat back after taking the lead, but were stung on the break with the last kick of the game. Kuban substitute Ibrahima Balde raced through on goal and nicked the ball past Tremmel, who brought down the Senegalese forward, and Cisse stepped up to dispatch the resulting penalty with aplomb.

 

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FC Sheriff 0-2 Tottenham: Vertonghen & Defoe maintain perfect Spurs record

Tottenham maintained their 100 per cent record in the Europa League with a hard-fought 2-0 win over Moldovan champions FC Sheriff in Tiraspol on Thursday night.

The north Londoners took an early lead with their first meaningful attack of the game, as Jan Vertonghen headed in at the far post following a whipped delivery from former Ajax team-mate Christian Eriksen.

Sheriff frequently broke Spurs' lacklustre offside trap, keeping goalkeeper Hugo Lloris busy, but the Premier League side wrapped up victory when Jermain Defoe lashed the ball into the top corner from range.
Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas rotated heavily, making seven changes from the side that beat Aston Villa, with Defoe and winger Aaron Lennon - on the comeback trail following a foot injury - the most notable inclusions.

Sheriff started well but would have been cursing their luck as the north Londoners took the lead in the 12th minute; Erik Lamela took a short corner to Eriksen, and Vertonghen rose above Miral Samardzic to head in the Dane's curling cross.

Sheriff should have responded just three minutes later, but after rounding Tottenham goalkeeper Lloris, Henrique Luvannor was denied by a fantastic goal-line clearance from Vlad Chiriches.

Kobi Moyal shot wide following another quick counter-attack a few minutes later, before Lennon wasted a one-on-one opportunity, shooting at the legs of Sheriff goalkeeper Vjekoslav Tomic.

That was a rare chance in a sustained spell of Sheriff dominance, though, as Ismail Isa had a goal ruled out for offside before the same player curled an effort just wide with the Tottenham struggling to contain the home side.

Spurs were forced to re-shuffle their defence after left-back Ezekiel Fryers was forced off with a groin injury just after the half-hour mark, but they continued to struggle with the pace and dynamism of Isa and Luvannor, with the latter shooting just over on the turn seven minutes before the break.

After a slow start to the second half, Lennon saw a 20-yard driven effort hit the far post, while at the other end, substitute Michael Dawson was in the perfect position to block a goal-bound Ricardinho strike.

Tottenham sealed the victory in the 75th minute, though, as Defoe fired in from 25 yards thanks to a wicked deflection that deceived Tomic. The strike, the England international's 22nd in Europe, equalled Martin Chivers' club record.

Defoe almost scored again moments later, poking just wide of the far post, while Isa wasted a chance to give the hosts a lifeline as Tottenham maintained their perfect start.

 

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Fabregas: 'Spectacular' Ozil will bring out the best in Arsenal

Former Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas has praised the club's capture of Mesut Ozil and believes the Germany international can take the Gunners to another level.

Arsene Wenger already had a wealth of playmakers to choose from, with many suggesting Arsenal did not really need Ozil, but Fabregas has quashed those notions and is convinced the 25-year-old will galvanise the north London outfit.

“If you have the chance to sign Mesut Ozil then you can’t let it pass you by,” the Barcelona man told The Daily Mail.

“He wanted to play for Arsenal. Wenger won him over and when you have the chance with a player like that it doesn’t matter if you already have seven or eight who are similar, you have to take it.

“Ozil is the man who makes the difference in the final third. He will find so much space in the Premier League and he’s a player who with space kills you. His final pass is brilliant. And he will score more goals in England than he did in Spain. He is a spectacular signing.

“Ozil will bring the best out in [Aaron] Ramsey and [Jack] Wilshere. They understand football the same way.

“The only player who maybe is a bit different is Theo Walcott but you also need that type of player because it’s true that at the end of pass, pass, pass you need a Pedro — someone who will get behind the opposition. Someone who gives depth and hits space.”

Fabregas was linked with a move back to the Emirates Stadium during the summer, though remained at Camp Nou, but says he would welcome a return in a coaching capacity.

“I’m sure they would give me the option to help out there,” the Spaniard added.

“Sol Campbell is there at the moment. Dennis Bergkamp also went there two or three times a week to train when he was doing his coaching badges. It’s a great club in that sense.”

 

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Villas-Boas: Spurs worked hard for Sheriff win

Tottenham boss Andre Villas-Boas has praised his side's fighting spirit as they recorded a 2-0 win against Sheriff and moved a step closer to qualification for the knockout stages of the Europa League.

Jan Vertonghen opened the scoring early in the first half before Jermain Defoe sealed the victory, Spurs' fifth in a row in Europe - though Sheriff had plenty of chances of their own to score.

Villas-Boas was particularly pleased with the way his side defended their narrow lead before guaranteeing the three points late on, and is now targeting a victory in their next outing to seal their progression.

"We had to work hard for this win," said the Portuguese. "We went through a moment of the game where we could have suffered. The second goal gave us stability.

"We have nine points now which is a completely different position to where we were last year.

"The objective was to secure qualification over the course of these two games and this result ensures we still have that possibility."

Defoe's 75th-minute goal was his 22nd in Europe, equalling former Spurs player Martin Chivers' club record which has stood for over 40 years, and Villas-Boas was quick to praise the diminutive frontman.

"It's a great achievement," the Spurs boss added. "We'll celebrate even more if he overtakes the record."

 

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Clasico decides nothing, says Ramos

Sergio Ramos believes that defeat to Barcelona in Saturday's Clasico showdown at Camp Nou would not be the end of the world for Real Madrid.

The Blaugrana can stretch their lead over their arch rivals to six points with a home win, while Carlo Ancelotti's side can draw level with the Catalans.

However, Ramos has told his team-mates not to obsess over the fixture and is confident that his side will improve as the season wares on.

"There's no point obsessing about winning at the Camp Nou," he is quoted as saying by Marca.

"It's a long season. Real Madrid improve throughout the year, match by match, which is how we have done well. The gap is not very big and, as things are, our fate is in our own hands.

"The team aren't playing at their best, but we'll get there one step at a time."

Madrid took a step towards sealing top spot in their Champions League group with a 2-1 win over Juventus at the Bernabeu on Wednesday.

 

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Martinez: No rush over Everton deal for Baines

Everton manager Roberto Martinez insists there is no rush to offer star player Leighton Baines a new contract, despite interest from Manchester United.

Former boss David Moyes saw a £15 million bid rejected in the summer for the left-back, who has 18 months left to run on his current deal.

Goal recently revealed that the England international is ready to reject Everton's offer of a new long-term contract and significant wage rise in light of United’s interest, but Martinez is adamant no new deal is currently on the table.

"There's no train of thought on that at the moment," the former Wigan boss explained.

"All that matters is that Leighton is enjoying his football. That's the only thing I'm focusing on."

Despite the uncertainty surrounding his future, Martinez insists he is delighted with the 28-year-old’s form this season and believes he is performing better than ever.

"He's increasing all his personal stats," he continued. "I think all his performance stats have improved from last season.

"That, for me, is very important - someone of his age and maturity is starting to enjoy his football in a great manner. The fact that he's developed his performance level as he has in the early weeks of the season is very significant. That's what matters to me.

"Everything else is just a case of trying to find an issue from the outside and see what we will comment on."