..::Football III::..

[Wolverine GTR]

Torino 1-1 Roma: Cerci halts Giallorossi run

Roma's run of 10 straight wins at the start of the season came to an end as they drew 1-1 away to Torino.

Rudi Garcia's men were chasing Tottenham's European record of 11 victories from the beggining of the campaign, set in 1960-61, at the Stadio Olimpico di Torino and things were going to plan when Kevin Strootman gave them a half-time lead.

However, Alessio Cerci struck for the hosts after the break to ensure that his side left with a well deserved point.

The beginning of the match was a drab affair, but as time wore on Roma came closer and closer to breaking the deadlock, with set pieces proving a particularly big threat.

Alessandro Florenzi and Marco Boriello, the former with an ambitious volley, the latter with a header, both hit the top of the net following corners before the breakthrough arrived.

After Torino failed to clear their lines, the ball was worked to Miralem Pjanic, who picked out Strootman brilliantly, and the Dutch midfielder tucked the ball home emphatically.

However, rather than kicking on and taking the game by the horns, Roma eased off following the opener, allowing the hosts more and more of the ball.

Cerci had already sent a free kick in a decent position over the bar when he forced a great save from Morgan De Sanctis in the Roma goal with a bending shot from distance.

Torino pressed, but were ultimately unable to get back on level terms before the break.

Proceedings after half-time we much the same as the end of the first half and De Sanctis was once again called into action to soon enough to deny Riccardo Meggiorini, who met a fantastic high ball into the box with a volley that was beaten away by the veteran keeper.

However, it was not long before Giampiero Ventura's men got their deserved equaliser. Once again, Meggiorini found space on the left wing and squared it to Cerci, who duly steered it into the back of the net.

The equaliser spurred Roma into life and the Giallorossi soon went in search of another goal, with Nicolas Burdisso heading narrowly over from a header and Maicon having a tame appeal for a penalty turned down.

However, in the end, they could not craft a true chance and their winning start to the season came to an abrupt end.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Atletico Madrid 2-0 Athletic Bilbao: Rojiblancos cruise to third Liga win in a row

Atletico Madrid closed to within a point of Liga leaders Barcelona once again with a facile 2-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao on Sunday evening.

David Villa opened the scoring just after the half-hour mark before Diego Costa racked up his 13th goal of the season in the 41st minute.

The hosts started sluggishly but they carried a constant through their front two, with Costa and Villa both going close before the latter opened the scoring with a fine drive from just inside the area on 33 minutes.

Atletico doubled their advantage shortly before the break when Koke released Costa, who cut inside one defender before coolly slotting the ball past Gorka Iraizoz.

Diego Simeone's men could have put the result beyond all doubt in the 63rd minute when Koke and Costa combined again to tee up Villa, but the Barcelona man fired wide.

However, it mattered not, as any hope Athletic had of turning the game around all but ended when Erik Moran was sent off with just 10 minutes to go after picking up a second yellow for a poor challenge on Diego Godin.

Bizarrely, Iker Muniain had the visitors' best chance moments later, but he dragged his shot just wide after beating two men.

However, Atletico were ultimately able to cruise to their 11th victory in 12 Liga games so far this season - and their third in a row since their shock defeat at Espanyol.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Udinese 0-3 Inter: Palacio leads Mazzarri's men to victory

Inter's fine start to the Serie A season continued at the expense of Udinese, who were defeated 3-0 at Stadio Friuli on Sunday afternoon.

First-half goals from Rodrigo Palacio and Andrea Ranocchia gave Walter Mazzarri's men a comfortable advantage they would not relinquish.

Fredy Guarin was denied by the woodwork as Inter went in search of a third and it duly arrived in the 91st minute, with Ricky Alvarez tapping home to consign Udinese to their third defeat in four matches.

Both sides made two changes from their midweek fixtures. Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu and Silvan Widmer returned for Udinese, while Ranocchia and Saphir Taider came back in to the starting XI for Inter.

After a quiet opening 20 minutes, Mazzarri's men twice went close to breaking the deadlock in the space of 60 seconds.

First, Cambiasso won the ball 30 yards from goal before unleashing a fierce drive that was tipped over the crossbar by Zeljko Brkic, then Jonathan played a clever ball in to Yuto Nagatomo, who snatched at his effort from six yards and sent the ball wide.

Inter did not have to wait long to take the lead, however, as Palacio rose highest to nod home Taider's right-wing free-kick from seven yards in the 25th minute.

The advantage was doubled four minutes later, Ranocchia volleying home Esteban Cambiasso's left-wing corner into an empty net after Brkic had misjudged the flight of the ball as he attempted to come and collect.

Udinese should have been back in the game 10 minutes before the break, Luis Muriel capitalising on a terrible mistake by Walter Samuel before dragging his angled effort horribly wide, the ball running out of play for a throw-in on the far side.

The home side began the second half strongly, former Udinese goalkeeper Samir Handanovic produced a spectacular save to deny Antonio Di Natale's dipping effort two minutes after the restart before Maurizio Domizzi sent an overhead kick narrowly wide 10 minutes later after Inter struggled to clear a ball into the box.

Despite Udinese's greater threat in the second half, it was the visitors who went closest to grabbing the next goal in the 61st minute, Guarin powering past Domizzi in the box before seeing his low effort cannon off the base of Brkic's right-hand post and away to safety.

Inter did indeed claim a third goal in stoppage time, Palacio squaring the ball for Alvarez to slot home into an empty net as the visitors closed out a win that took them to within six points of Juventus in the final Champions League qualification berth.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Everton 0-0 Tottenham: Both sides miss their chance to go second

Everton and Tottenham each missed the opportunity to go second in the Premier League when playing out a 0-0 draw at Goodison Park.

The visitors, who have not won away against the Toffees since 2007, controlled the first half but could not make their chances count, while Everton were a much brighter prospect after the interval.

Referee Kevin Friend waved away strong penalty shouts from either side in an entertaining game that both will feel that they could have won.

Ultimately they had to settle for a share of the spoils, meaning that Tottenham move up to fourth and Everton, who dropped points at home for just the second time in 11 matches, stay seventh.

The hosts left Ross Barkley out of their starting line-up for the first time in the Premier League this season, Leon Osman replacing him in central midfield.

Andre Villas-Boas named an unchanged team from the 1-0 league victory over Hull City, meaning that Lewis Holtby was afforded the opportunity to play against the club he supported as a boy. In-form winger Andros Townsend was granted permission to play with a splint on his injured right wrist.

Tottenham carried the most potent threat early on, Sandro forcing a save from Tim Howard with a swerving long-range strike that almost deceived the American goalkeeper, who tipped it past the post.

Aaron Lennon escaped down the left after five minutes, cutting back onto his right foot to pick out Roberto Soldado, but the Spaniard's header from 10 yards was wayward.

James McCarthy's foul on Jan Vertonghen earned him a booking and handed the visitors another chance to apply pressure, with Kyle Walker's 20-yard effort finding the clenched fists of Howard.

Tottenham saw appeals for a penalty turned down midway through the half when Vertonghen went down under a clumsy-looking challenge from Seamus Coleman.

It took until the 28th minute for Everton to trouble Hugo Lloris with anything more than a hoisted ball into the box and the Frenchman confidently waved Osman's rising shot over the crossbar.

Romelu Lukaku's foray into the area caused a rare moment of panic in Tottenham's defence but Vertonghen tidied up, with Everton beginning to show signs of growing into the game in the last 10 minutes of the half.

The hosts created their most dangerous opening in the first few minutes after the break and Tottenham were indebted to Vlad Chiriches as he made a superb last-ditch tackle on Kevin Mirallas, who had been sent clear down the right by Lukaku.

Barkley replaced Osman with just over an hour gone and the 19-year-old quickly got his first shot away, sending a swerving effort clear of the bar.

Coleman thought that he had earned his side a spot kick in the 65th minute but Friend saw nothing wrong with Vertonghen's tackle just inside the box, despite the Dutchman appearing to make contact with the Irish defender and not the ball.

Lloris looked set to be withdrawn after an accidental clash with Lukaku but, with Brad Friedel ready to come on, the France international appeared to overrule his bench and remained on the pitch.

He was tested with two minutes of normal time remaining and showed no hesitation in racing out to deny substitute Gerard Deulofeu in a frantic finish that included nine minutes of additional time.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Klopp: Playing at Dortmund like being born

Borussia Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp believes stepping out of the Signal Iduna Park tunnel is an experience akin to being born.

The Ruhr giants are famed for the atmosphere within their stadium and the 46-year-old, who has been at BVB since 2008, feels the club's fans are unique.

“You come out of this tunnel, it’s very narrow. I told the players it’s a little bit like when you are born and your mother is [makes a face like a woman in labour].

“Then you come out and see the best of the world. Every two weeks, we see this. It’s very dark inside and we come out and it’s really great.

“It’s loud and shining. It’s everything. Like the sun goes up!

“I’m 1.94 metres so I have to bend like this inside and so when we come out, it’s like: ‘boom!’ You get out in this stadium and want to run for your life to fight for each centimetre of grass.”

Klopp also voiced his pride with the emphasis his side put on young players, which has seen the likes of Erik Durm break into the squad this season.

“Borussia Dortmund are the only club in the world where if I speak to a young player, he knows that I am his coach for the next four-and-a-half-years. We want to have this situation.”

Despite his obvious love for BVB, Klopp refused to rule out a move away from the club in the future, saying he would be happy to live anywhere.

“I have an interest in the whole world and it is not typical for my personality to spend 10 years in Dortmund because I can live anywhere. So can my wife. We can grab the dog and go to the next city.”

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Roma can't win every game - Garcia

Roma coach Rudi Garcia is refusing to dwell on his side's draw against Torino, despite their 10-match winning streak coming to an end.

Alessio Cerci netted in the second half to cancel out Kevin Strootman’s opener as the capital side were held 1-1 in Turin, but the former Lille boss believes a point on their travels is a positive.

“This is football, we can’t win them all, but a draw away from home is not a negative result,” the Frenchman told reporters after the game.

“I liked that we played all the through in order to win. Even at the end we attacked to the final whistle and tried to get the victory.

“We must make the most of this point, as it is valuable, and be ready to win the next game at home to Sassuolo. I hope we can then break away from Juventus or Napoli, maybe even both.”

Daniele De Rossi echoed the sentiments of his coach, admitting that games will only get harder as teams try to find a way to stifle the Giallorossi’s potent threat.

“After such an extraordinary run it can happen to have a little slip-up and we felt tired towards the end, so weren’t as sharp as usual," he told Sky Sport Italia.

“It’s particularly disappointing considering we dominated the game. Torino just sat back and defended, but we’ve got to get used to that this season.”

Roma are still top if the Serie A table, three points clear of both Juventus and Napoli, who both play each other next weekend.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Simeone: Diego Costa a 'huge' player

Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone has lavished more praise on striker Diego Costa after the 25-year-old led his side to victory over Athletic Bilbao on Sunday.

The Brazil-born attacker netted his 13th Liga goal of the season as the capital club saw off the Basques and moved one point behind first-placed Barcelona.

And Simeone feels his star player has grown in every way of late, helping the rest of the team to their fantastic start to the season.

“Diego is huge in every way,” the Argentine told reporters after the game.

“On top of the goal he scored today, he is growing as a player – he is more of a team player and helps us win the ball back.

“All of that makes the whole team play better. We hope he continues to grow because he’s got many years ahead of him to get even better.”

Team-mate Diego Godin also spoke about the 25-year-old in glowing terms, highlighting the work rate of Costa and his strike partner David Villa as one of the main reasons behind Atleti’s fine form.

“Diego Costa and Villa are really good up front,” he added.

“Their goals are very important but they are also very involved in the defensive side of things. They come back to help the defence often.”

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Aubameyang: I'd rather Lewandowski went to Barca than Bayern

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has said that he would rather see Borussia Dortmund team-mate Robert Lewandowski move to Barcelona than Bayern Munich at the end of the season.

The Polish striker was heavily linked with a switch to Die Roten throughout last summer but was eventually persuaded to stay with BVB for another season after they refused to negotiate with their Bundesliga rivals.

His Signal Iduna Park contract expires at the end of the current season and the Gabon international is hoping that he will not join his side's fierce rivals.

"If Lewandowski leaves, we would prefer him to join Barcelona rather than Bayern Munich,” the Gabonese international told beIN Sport.

The 24-year-old also revealed that he rejected the advances of Paris Saint-Germain over the summer due to his desire to experience a different league after five seasons in France.

“There are stars in Paris and of course we talk about them in Dortmund. There was contact after me personally but as I already said it was too big a project for me and that's why I went with something else.

“They have a great project but I was more taken by the prospect of Germany, a change of scenery. I wanted to leave France.

"They [PSG] are a great team, it's a pleasure to see them play. I watch them from time to time. There are some big names offering some beautiful football.”

Aubameyang netted his second goal in as many games on Friday in Dortmund’s 6-1 hammering of Stuttgart.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Corinthians refuse to rule out Pato sale to Tottenham or Arsenal

Arsenal and Tottenham have been linked with a January move for Corinthians striker Alexandre Pato.

The 24-year-old only moved back to Brazil in January 2013 after a five-year spell at AC Milan, but club director Roberto de Andrade opened the door for a potential move to London in the upcoming transfer window.

Discussing the Brazil international’s future, De Andrade told Radio Bandeirantes: ”Considering his value, I think it's hard that he moves to another Brazilian club.

"If those two clubs [Arsenal and Tottenham] are interested in Pato, we don't rule out selling him in the winter transfer market.”

Pato also revealed recently that Tottenham made an approach for him in the summer, but opted to remain with the 2012 Club World Cup champions.

He told Brazil’s SporTV last week: “Tottenham had called Corinthians to ask for my transfer. I sat at the table with the club and my agent and I decided I wanted to stay.”

The two north London rivals have been in fine form so far this season but have just one recognised and fully fit back-up option to starters Olivier Giroud and Roberto Soldado.

Pato, who started his career at Internacional, has scored 16 goals in 51 appearances for Corinthians since joining earlier this year.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Juve can beat Madrid at home, says Marchisio

Claudio Marchisio is certain that Juventus can overcome Real Madrid with the support of their own fans in Tuesday's Champions League clash.

The Serie A champions fell to a 2-1 defeat at the Bernabeu last month to leave them third in Group B, two points adrift of second-placed Galatasaray.But Marchisio feels his side have the ability to get a result against Carlo Ancelotti's men this time around, aided by a vocal home support back in Italy.

"Madrid have plenty of strong players up front who sometimes help out less in defensive areas, thus putting their backline under pressure," he told the club's official website.

"We managed to defend well in Spain, enjoy possession and cause them problems.
"In Turin, we’ll be able to count on the support of our fans, who will provide a red-hot atmosphere at the stadium."We haven’t had a great deal of time in which to prepare for the game, but encounters like these provide plenty of motivation by themselves."Saturday's 1-0 victory over Parma left Juve two points behind Serie A leaders Roma, who have a game in hand, and Marchisio is intent on winning a third straight successive Scudetto.

"We mustn’t give in and need to be ready to pounce on any slip-ups. We’re perfectly calm as we’ve always responded positively and are enjoying an excellent championship season.

"We must look to continue this when we face Napoli next week."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

'Several clubs want Banega' - agent

Ever Banega's agent plans to meet with Valencia's directors in the coming days as "several clubs" have expressed an interest in signing the Argentine.

The 25-year-old midfielder has been at Mestalla since 2008 and stated before the season began that he was determined to repay los Che for standing by him during some difficult times off the field in recent seasons.

However, Banega's representative, Marcelo Simonian, has now revealed that his client could move elsewhere as early as January.

"I can only tell you that we are already talking with several clubs in relation to the next window," the agent told NapoliCalcioLive.com.

"In the next few days I will be travelling to present all the options to Valencia."

Valencia signed Banega from Boca Juniors for a reported fee of €20 million but his time in Spain has been blighted by injuries and controversy.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Pastore agent rules out Napoli move

Javier Pastore's agent has dismissed the possibility of the attacking midfielder leaving Paris Saint-Germain for Napoli.

Partenopei president Aurelio De Laurentiis has already stated that he could bring in as many as three new players during the January transfer window and in recent weeks the in-form San Paolo outfit have been heavily linked with former Palermo playmaker Pastore.

However, the Argentine's representative, Marcelo Simonian, says that not only has he not been contacted by anyone from Napoli, his client is perfectly happy at the Parc des Princes.

"Pastore loves Italy, but now he must think only about the present, not the past or the future," he told NapoliCalcioLive.com. "I do not think that a transfer to Naples is possible at this time.

"PSG's intention is to hold on to him, and furthermore, Javier wants to continue his career with a club that have always believed in him and treated him well.

"He is very happy in France , just as he was very happy in Italy. In addition, I have not had contact from anyone of late."

The 24-year-old Pastore joined PSG from Palermo in August 2011 for a reported €40 million fee.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Ozil is better at dribbling than Zidane, says Wenger

Arsene Wenger believes Mesut Ozil is better at dribbling than Zinedine Zidane, though says both players share a "special quality".

The Germany international has impressed since his €50 million move from Real Madrid in September, and the Arsenal boss claims the midfielder possesses similar attributes to the former France star.

"Ozil has a special quality, he always takes the right decision quickly," Wenger told Telefoot.

"Ozil is a bit better at dribbling than Zidane. They have a similar form of technical ease and similar humility."

Wenger revealed that Arsenal were competing alongside Paris Saint-Germain for Ozil’s signature during the summer transfer window and believes his past interest in the 25-year-old influenced his decision to move to the Premier League.

"Last summer, the first contact was in my home. It was fairly quiet. He took a decision in almost 24 hours. After that, carrying out the transfer and the decision was fairly quick," Wenger said.

"I tried to get him before he moved to Real [in 2010]. It was between them and us at the time. He called me and he told me that he had chosen Real, but he told me he would have also liked to come at us.

"Paris were also interested last summer. And the advantage I had was that I had contacted him before he went to Real."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Pogba targets Real Madrid scalp after 'invaluable' victory over Parma

Paul Pogba has quickly turned his attention to toppling Real Madrid after Juventus picked up what he felt was an "invaluable" victory over Parma on Saturday evening.

The France international scored the only goal of the game at the Tardini, pouncing on the rebound after Fabio Quagliarella's long-range effort had come back off the crossbar.

The win moved the Italian champions to within two points of Serie A leaders Roma, much to the relief of Pogba, who is glad that Juve can now approach their must-win Champions League clash with Madrid on Tuesday in a positive frame of mind.

"The win over Parma? Invaluable," the 20-year-old is quoted as saying by his club's official site. "This was a difficult and important game, but we have done what we wanted to do.

"Parma are going through a good moment in terms of form and it was not easy to beat them.

"I was thinking that Fabio's shot was going in, but I followed it anyway and I managed to score as a result.

"But now we're thinking about Real. We must win, because it's a vital game."

Juventus have just two points from their first three games in Champions League Group B and currently lie third behind Galatasaray and leaders Madrid.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Januzaj will be Manchester United’s No.10, says Moyes

David Moyes believes Adnan Januzaj will become Manchester United’s next No.10.

The 18-year-old made his Premier League debut earlier this season and has scored two goals in six appearances for the champions.

Januzaj has primarily featured as a left winger since his introduction to the first team but Moyes believes the Belgium-born starlet will eventually flourish in a central role at Old Trafford.

"In time, Adnan's best position will be No.10," Moyes told reporters.

"But while he's so young, it is better to introduce him on the left or right.

"He's a terrific centre-forward as well and so talented that he can play in several positions. The boy's working really well and, whatever job we give him, he's so talented that he can handle it."

Moyes insists he will not overplay Januzaj this term and has likened his managerial situation to the time when Wayne Rooney emerged as a first-team footballer at Everton.

"I don’t want to put too much expectation on the boy, which is why I'll take him out so he doesn't tire," said Moyes.

"But he’s got something which I haven’t seen for a long time.

"I'm trying to keep the reins on him. It is a bit like I had with Wayne when he was a young player.

"I remember I used to get a bit of criticism because we played Wayne on the left a couple of times.

"You can't always get the young players right in and when you do, you try to find the right slots for them.

"It didn’t do Rooney any harm!"

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Lopez: Real Madrid were made to suffer

Diego Lopez has admitted that Real Madrid were made to "suffer" during Saturday's 3-2 victory over Rayo Vallecano.

Los Blancos appeared to be cruising to a badly-needed victory over their city rivals thanks to a Cristiano Ronaldo double and a Karim Benzema header, but they then conceded two penalties in the space of two minutes in the early stages of the second half, both of which were converted by Jonathan Viera.

Madrid ultimately held on to claim all three points, but Lopez admitted that Madrid had been given an almighty scare and that the game should serve as a wake-up call for Carlo Ancelotti's men, particularly from a defensive perspective.

"We pressed very high but couldn't put anything together," the goalkeeper, who turns 32 today, told his club's official website. "They played with a lot of intensity and made us suffer.

"This team [Vallecano] is going to get out of the trouble they’re in because they play good football and deserve to be much higher up the table.

"In regards to how we play, our concentration and attitude, we are all responsible. The team makes a big effort to score goals - we have showed that we can create danger against all teams - but we also have to defend. It is the responsibility of all 11 players."

Xabi Alonso started Saturday's clash after making his return from injury in the midweek win over Sevilla, but Lopez warned not to expect too much from the Spain international as he works to recover full fitness.

"Xabi is a very important player for this team but it also takes time after a lengthy injury," he added.

Madrid now travel to Turin for a mouth-watering Champions League clash with Italian champions Juventus on Tuesday night.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

La Liga 2013.11.04 Fixture

La Liga 2013.11.04 Fixture

Elche Vs Villareal​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Serie A 2013.11.04 Fixture

Serie A 2013.11.04 Fixture

Bologna Vs Chievo​

 

[unicornx]

TOMORROW::::

JUVE vs Madrid

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Pele: Neymar 'five years behind Messi'

Brazil legend Pele says Neymar lacks the experience to be put in the same class as Lionel Messi, but insists he is already "one of the most complete players in the world."

In his first season with Barcelona, the 21-year-old has four goals and eight assists in 15 appearances, while the Argentina international has managed 12 goals and four assists in 14 matches.

Pele believes his compatriot has the potential to become one of the finest attackers in the modern game but feels he must be given time to develop in Europe before he can vie for the honour of being named the world's best.

"There are several good players, but the choice [for the Ballon d’Or] should be between Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo," he told reporters.

"I think Neymar can be the best player in the world, but there are players who are four or five years ahead, like Messi.

"Whether or not Neymar will become an idol in Barcelona is a question that I still can not answer, but I already said that I believe Neymar is one of the most complete players in the world.

"He does not have the experience of Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, but is one of the best players in Brazil.

"However, eight months in Europe and in Barcelona will be good for Brazil because he will have more experience heading to the World Cup."

Pele also jumped to the defence of Diego Costa, insisting the player should be respected for making his reasons clear as to why he chose to represent Spain over Brazil.

"I think we have to respect the decision of Diego. He had a position and followed it. It was a beautiful attitude," the 73-year-old added.

"I understand he had to have courage to make the decision. He tried to explain that he had not been well received in the Brazilian national team and made the decision to represent Spain.

"I think that his attitude was correct. We have to respect it."