..::Football III::..

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Madrid to offer Khedira new deal

Real Madrid are set to offer Sami Khedira a new contract amid reported interest from a host of clubs across Europe.

The Germany international's current deal at the Santiago Bernabeu expires in June and he has been forced down the midfield pecking order following the summer signing of Toni Kroos from Bayern Munich.

Premier League sides Manchester United and Arsenal have been strongly linked with a bid for his services for much of the last 12 months, with Khedira free to talk to interested suitors as of January.

But Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti revealed at a press conference this week that he believes the club's hierarchy intend on sitting down with the 27-year-old, but hinted the player may need some persuading to remain at the club.

He said: "We still have until June to renew his contract. I think the club intends to renew the deal and if he does not want to then he will remain here until to the end of season."Khedira spent five months on the sidelines last season after tearing knee ligaments in November, but recovered in time to lift the World Cup with Germany this summer.

He joined Madrid from Bundesliga side Stuttgart in June 2010 for a fee in the region of €19 million and went on to become a key player under former boss Jose Mourinho.

 

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Mourinho: I have no idea when Diego Costa will return

Chelsea striker Diego Costa has been ruled out of the Blues' midweek Champions League clash with Maribor, Jose Mourinho has confirmed.

The Spain international was absent from the squad that beat Crystal Palace 2-1 on Saturday and will remain on the treatment table for a while longer.

And after the match Mourinho confirmed he is not sure when Costa will be fit to return for Chelsea, though he sarcastically remarked that he is sure the striker will be fit for Spain's next match.

"The only thing I can say is after Arsenal he went to national team, he played two big matches against Slovakia and Luxembourg and become in condition where he's not able to play for this club," Mourinho told reporters.

When asked if he had spoken to the Spain medics, Mourinho added: "For what? To spend money on the call?

"I think he'll be in great condition in mid-November to be back for the national team. That's for sure. Our medical department will take good care of him and he'll be in perfect condition. "He will play for me when he's got free time from the national team."

 

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Sassuolo 1-1 Juventus: Bianconeri's winning run comes to an end

Juventus dropped points for the first time in Serie A this season as they were held to a shock 1-1 draw at struggling Sassuolo on Saturday night.

Massimiliano Allegri's men claimed a sixth win from as many games prior to the international break when beating Roma 3-2, but failed to find top gear at Stadio Citta del Tricolore.

Sassuolo claimed an unlikely lead after 13 minutes through Simone Zaza, a player previously co-owned by Juventus, only for the visitors to respond swiftly courtesy of a stunning Paul Pogba strike.However, Pogba's goal failed to spark the champions into action as they found themselves continually frustrated by a hard-working Sassuolo outfit, who climb off the foot of the table.

Roma's 3-0 win over Chievo earlier on Saturday ensures Juve's lead at the summit has been cut to one point, with Allegri likely to view this game as a missed opportunity.Juve had won their previous 13 league matches, their last dropped points coming in a 2-0 loss at Napoli on March 30.

Sassuolo, still to win a league game this season, showed no sign of being overawed, despite some early Juventus pressure.

Fernando Llorente was first to test Andrea Consigli after 12 minutes, forcing a smart save following a teasing cross from the right, and Roberto Pereyra sent the rebound over the bar.

Juventus were left stunned by their hosts just 60 seconds later, when Zaza forced a parried save from Gianluigi Buffon, only for the ball to eventually find its way back to the 23-year old, who applied a smart finish to give his side the lead.

Sassuolo began to look more confident on the back of that goal, enjoying plenty of possession in the middle of the park as a shell-shocked Juventus initially struggled to find any rhythm.

However, the good work of the home side was undone in sublime fashion on 19 minutes as Pogba was allowed to cut inside from the left, before curling home an exquisite finish from the edge of the box.

The momentum shifted in favour of Juve for the remainder of the opening half, with Consigli forced into an impressive double save just before the break to deny Pogba and then Carlos Tevez.However, Sassuolo nearly took the lead again after 51 minutes when Domenico Berardi, on loan from Allegri's men, saw a curling free-kick whistle past the post.Zaza forced Buffon into a smart save 15 minutes later, but Juventus predictably demonstrated greater urgency in attack as the game approached its conclusion.

Some great work down the right by Pereyra saw him cut the ball back for substitute Kingsley Coman to scoop over, while Pogba forced a terrific save from Consigli 10 minutes later following Tevez's dinked ball into the box.A decisive breathrough continued to elude the visitors as Sassuolo held on for an impressive point.

Juve's frustration was summed up by Simone Padoin, an unused substitute, being sent off in stoppage time.

 

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Barcelona 3-0 Eibar: Messi edges closer to Liga record in Camp Nou cruise

Lionel Messi edged one closer to La Liga's all-time goalscoring record as Barcelona easily beat Eibar 3-0 at Camp Nou on Saturday.

The Argentina international went into the match needing just two goals to go level on 251 top-flight strikes with Athletic Bilbao legend Telmo Zarra, but he could only notch once as he was frustrated by Eibar goalkeeper Xabi Irureta.Messi saw a couple of chances go begging in the first half, as he was first denied by the right leg of Irureta, before flashing an effort just wide.

In fact, Eibar should have taken the lead themselves before the break, as Ander Capa and Saul Berjon both failed when through on goal.

Xavi eventually gave Barca the lead with an hour gone following a clever pass from Messi and Neymar netted the second 18 minutes from the end to effectively secure the victory.Messi rounded off a delightful move in the 74th minute to ensure Barca stay four points clear of Real Madrid, with the Argentinian now eyeing a record-breaking day against their bitter rivals at the Santiago Bernabeu in a week's time.

Luis Enrique was keen to divert his players' attentions away from records in the build-up, demanding focus on the match itself instead.

But unsurprisingly all eyes were on Messi and he took centre stage, seeing numerous opportunities slip from his grasp before the best chance to break the deadlock arrived in the 20th minute.The Argentine played an incisive one-two with Dani Alves down the right flank, before seeing his effort well blocked by Irureta from point-blank range.

Messi's determination was obvious and he went close again five minutes later, sending a fierce drive just wide of the top-right corner from 20 yards.The hosts continued to monopolise possession as the first half progressed, but the visitors spurned good sights of goal just before the break.

Capa coolly took the ball past Claudio Bravo before shooting into the side of an empty net, while the Chilean was forced into making a save as he denied Berjon when one-on-one.The hosts seemed to struggle during the early stages of the second period, but they did eventually break the deadlock.

Although Messi may not have got the goal himself, the 27-year-old played a pivotal role as he fed a fine throughball into the area for Xavi, who lifted a clever finish over Irureta.Barca ensured the final stages would not be remotely tense as Neymar volleyed in a Dani Alves cross 18 minutes from time, before Messi played a fantastic one-two with the Brazilian forward and fired into the bottom-right corner.

Though Messi went close to equalling the record late on, the 250th goal of his Liga career sets him up nicely as he looks to equal - if not surpass - Zarra's fabled milestone on the grandest of stages next week.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Mascherano: Barcelona not thinking about Real Madrid

Javier Mascherano claims Barcelona are thinking about their midweek clash with Ajax - not Saturday's Clasico clash with Real Madrid.

The Liga leaders restored their four-point advantage over their great rivals by beating Eibar 3-0 at Camp Nou, with Lionel Messi moving to within one goal of the all-time Spanish top-flight record of 251 after earlier strikes from Xavi and Neymar.

The build-up to the first season of the Clasico has already begun but Mascherano insists that Luis Enrique's men are solely concentrating on Tuesday's visit of Ajax.
"The pressure against Madrid is always the same – we’ll be playing our big rival," the Argentine told reporters after Saturday's win over Eibar.

"But we mustn’t forget Atletico either. We thought they would slip up last year, but they took the title in the end."So, the most important game is always the next one, because if you win, that changes the next one."We need to win against Ajax and go into the next game [against Real] with confidence."

For the Eibar clash, Mascherano was restored to the midfield role he regularly played before being converted into a defender by former Barca boss Pep Guardiola and the ex-Liverpool ace had a fine game in the Blaugrana engine room.
“I’m very happy to have played in the middle," he admitted. "I enjoyed it and it’s quite a while since I’ve played in that role for Barça.

"Everyone knows their role here and I’m here to help wherever I play.

“But we’re just happy with the win, though after a victory you also need to look at things that need improving too."The fact that we didn’t score till the second half shows that we can be patient."We are playing with intensity throughout and that means that the other team get tired – we don’t need to desperately chase a goal."

Barca have now won seven of their eight Liga games so far this season, drawing the other, but will be desperate for three points against Ajax after losing to Paris Saint-Germain in their last Champions League outing.

 

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Fabregas: Chelsea are no Arsenal Invincibles

Cesc Fabregas says comparisons with Arsenal’s ‘Invincibles’ are “a joke” and that he does not expect Chelsea to go through the season unbeaten.

The midfielder scored his first league goal for the Blues in a 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday.

The result means Jose Mourinho’s league leaders have gone eight games unbeaten so far this season, evoking memories of Arsenal’s title winning side of 2003-04.

However, Fabregas who joined the Gunners in 2003 as a 16-year-old, says his current team do not compare to that legendary Arsenal side.

“No, no, this is a joke. This is a joke. There will only be one team who can do that - the Arsenal ‘Invincibles’ team of 2003,” he told Sky Sports when asked if Chelsea can emulate his former club.

"I was part of it a little bit at the end and it was a different class team.

"I don't think we are there yet, but we're building up a young, talented, solid team and hopefully we can get into the final part of the season with options for winning everything."

Oscar opened the scoring for Chelsea against Crystal Palace in an eventful match which saw Cesar Azpilicueta and Damien Delaney sent off and Fabregas was impressed with his side’s second-half showing.

“We played a great second half especially for 10 against 10,” he added.

“Oscar's fantastic goal helped us and after the break it was a completely different game. It was a solid performance.

“I play deeper now so it will not be a party every game for me.

“I will go five or six games without a goal or an assist at times and I am more proud about our discipline.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Isco: I want to be an important player at Madrid

Isco admitted that he is desperate to establish himself as an "important" member of the Real Madrid first team after impressing in Saturday's Liga win at Levante.

The attacking midfielder joined Los Blancos from Malaga for €30 million last summer and, despite a strong start to his career at the Santiago Bernabeu, he has struggled for game time under coach Carlo Ancelotti.Isco was afforded a rare start - just his third in La Liga this season - in Valencia and he took his chance to shine, netting in a resounding 5-0 triumph.

Consequently, the 22-year-old is now hoping to show Ancelotti that he is worthy of more regular action.

“I'm still young. I have a lot of things to improve on, and that comes with minutes on the pitch."I'm happy with the chance the boss has given me and I hope to be an important player for the rest of the season.“I'm very happy about the goal and team's work, as it is always difficult after the international break."

Ronaldo struck twice against Malaga, while Javier Hernandez and James Rodriguez were also on target, and Isco believes Madrid are great shape heading into their midweek Champions League clash with Liverpool and Saturday's Clasico showdown with Barcelona.

"The team put it to them from the first minute and we got a good result in a very difficult ground," he enthused. "We are on a roll and ready for the stretch of the season coming up. "Now we have a very difficult and important match at Anfield. The team are doing very well at the moment and we hope to continue that way."

With Barcelona having beaten Eibar later in the day, Madrid will go into next weekend's meeting with the Catalans at the Bernabeu needing a win to close to within a point of the Liga leaders.

 

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Koeman 'in shock' after eight-goal romp

Southampton manager Ronald Koeman says he was left "in shock" after his side romped to an 8-0 Premier League win over Sunderland.

The home team took a 12th-minute lead in bizarre circumstances as Sunderland defender Santiago Vergini smashed an unstoppable volley into his own net.

In-form striker Graziano Pelle scored the first of an eventual brace six minutes later, at which stage Koeman accepted the scoreline flattered his players.

But, after a 37th-minute strike from midfielder Jack Cork gave Southampton further breathing space, Koeman was left purring by a clinical and destructive second-half performance

"I'm very pleased," he said. "I'm still a little bit in shock because 8-0 is not a normal result.

"I was surprised, after 20 minutes about the score - 2-0 up and we didn't start the game well. Sunderland were the dominant team and we had problems.

"We were lucky with the first goal, an own goal, and that gave us maybe a little more confidence in the team and we woke up after that.

"I'm very proud about the second half. We had 17 players out in the international break and if you show that ambition until the last second of the game it is great.

"It was the best I've ever seen of the team and that was important. We played great football, we scored great goals - it was a great afternoon."

Koeman offered sincere sympathy to opposite number Gus Poyet about the eventual result, with Liam Bridcutt joining Vergini in putting through his own goal and Dusan Tadic, Victor Wanyama and Sadio Mane all getting in on the act after Pelle's second.

"I know Poyet very well," he said. "In Spain we played a lot of times against each other - he was a player of Zaragoza, I was a player of Barcelona.

"I said 'unlucky, disappointing, you did not deserve this score today' because of what I said before. They played well in the beginning of the game.

"I know the game is 90 minutes but my feeling was to the other manager because losing 8-0 is a big result against your team."

Poyet, meanwhile, issued an apology to the travelling fans following the "embarrassing" loss.

"It's the most embarrassing time I've had on a football pitch, without any doubt," he said.

"I feel sorry for the supporters. I think we had created something between the team and the supporters. As you know, it's a long trip and they deserved better."

 

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Allegri: Juventus weren't good enough

Massimiliano Allegri admitted that Juventus had been nowhere near their best in Saturday night's surprise 1-1 draw at Sassuolo.

The reigning Italian champions had gone into the game having won their opening six Serie A fixtures and were expected to have little trouble in extending their perfect record against a side without a single victory to their name so far this season.

However, while Paul Pogba quickly cancelled out Simone Zaza's 13th-minute opener, Juve were unable to avoid dropping points for the first time and Allegri had no complaints about the final result.

"I knew it would be a difficult game, particularly because our internationals only returned on Thursday, after having played two games," the Bianconeri boss told Sky Sport Italia.

"Also, Sassuolo were coming off a period in which they were playing well despite collecting few points."Tonight, they put us in difficulty. We didn't play well technically and we had finished little in relation to what we created."We allowed them to counterattack a lot and risked a lot going forward.

"The game remained open right until the end of the game. Their goalkeeper, Andrea Consigli, made decisive saves but we could, and should, have done more."
With Roma having defeated Chievo 3-0 at the Stadio Olimpico earlier in the evening, Juve's lead at the summit of Serie A has now been cut to a single point.

 

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Newcastle still need to improve despite maiden win, says Pardew

Alan Pardew feels Newcastle United still need to improve despite claiming their first Premier League win of the season on Saturday.

A 71st-minute strike from Gabriel Obertan gave Newcastle a 1-0 victory over Leicester City in a contest that was delayed by an hour due to issues with a newly installed big screen at St James' Park.

While Pardew was delighted to see his side secure three points at the eighth time of asking, he insists they have much work to do.

"It was a really important win for the football club," Pardew told Sky Sports.

"We have worked really hard without getting our rewards, but today we did. They ran us really close at the end, but I am proud of my players.

"We stuck at it, kept creating chances, and I am especially glad it was Gabriel Obertan who scored, as he is a player that needs confidence.

"There was no corner to be turned really. We need to win more games, and today was about grinding it out.

"It is important that we take a step forward now, the job is not done and we need to get ourselves out of a position that we shouldn't be in."

Nigel Pearson, meanwhile, expressed his frustration at the result, which extended their winless run to three games.

"If you are not creating or taking your chances, it's important to keep a clean sheet and we have been done on the counter-attack from what was a very promising situation for ourselves," he said.

"It's frustrating, there's no doubt about that, but I know that we will get a positive response from the players."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

'Phenomenal' Barkley was born to play football, says Martinez

Roberto Martinez hailed the impact of Ross Barkley and labelled the 20-year old a “diamond of a footballer” after he helped drive Everton to a 3-0 victory over Aston Villa at Goodison Park.

The Liverpool born star laid on an assist for Romelu Lukaku’s second half strike and his forward driving runs troubled Villa all afternoon in a hugely impressive return to first team action.The game was Barkley's first appearance of the season after damaging knee liagments in training in August and Martinez was full of praise for the youngster.

“Sometimes you ask yourself if he was born to play football. As human beings you’re not born to kick a ball but he looks more natural with the ball than without it. He was phenomenal," he told reporters.

“He was sensational. On Thursday he put the ball in the top corner out of nothing and scored three goals in an exercise. It was his way to let everyone know that he was ready.Even when he came off he looked fresh and wanted to play even longer.”

On the subject of requesting to be rested from international duty, following claims that Raheem Sterling was "too tired" to play for the Three Lions, Martinez insisted Barkley would always be available for selection for his country.“Ross is a diamond of a footballer and always wants to represent his country," he added.

"He will always be available. Ross will do whatever the FA wants him to do.”
The Spaniard was relieved to get back to winning ways at home and praised the character of his side after a gruelling run of fixtures.“Going forward, we all know that we can score goals with ease as we have done this season. I thought it was a very mature performance," he explained.

"We stopped Aston Villa from carrying a threat and that is an incredible achievement. This team can have you exposed if you’re not clever.”Meanwhile, a downbeat Paul Lambert admitted that his disappointed with his side's display as they slipped to their fourth consecutive defeat.

“I don’t think we deserved anything from the game. We started the game slow which is nothing like us," he said.

"Today is the first time in the run of games that we’ve had that I felt we didn’t really justify ourselves. The goals were poor from our point of view.”

 

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Barclays Premier League 2014.10.19 Fixtures

Barclays Premier League 2014.10.19 Fixtures

QPR Vs Liverpool

Stoke City Vs Swansea

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[Wolverine GTR]

La Liga 2014.10.19 Fixtures

La Liga 2014.10.19 Fixtures

Atletico Madrid Vs Espanyol

Villareal Vs Almeria

Deportivo Vs Valencia

Elche Vs Sevilla​

 

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Serie A 2014.10.19 Fixtures

Serie A 2014.10.19 Fixtures

Fiorentina Vs Lazio

Hellas Verona Vs AC Milan

Inter Vs Napoli

Atalanta Vs Parma

Palermo Vs Cesena

Cagliari Vs Sampdoria

Torino Vs Udinese​

 

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Arsenal 2-2 Hull City: Welbeck saves Gunners with stoppage time strike

thawath dinanana thibba match ekak

 

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Barcelona 3-0 Eibar: Messi edges closer to Liga record in Camp Nou cruise

Lionel Messi edged one closer to La Liga's all-time goalscoring record as Barcelona easily beat Eibar 3-0 at Camp Nou on Saturday.

The Argentina international went into the match needing just two goals to go level on 251 top-flight strikes with Athletic Bilbao legend Telmo Zarra, but he could only notch once as he was frustrated by Eibar goalkeeper Xabi Irureta.Messi saw a couple of chances go begging in the first half, as he was first denied by the right leg of Irureta, before flashing an effort just wide.

In fact, Eibar should have taken the lead themselves before the break, as Ander Capa and Saul Berjon both failed when through on goal.

Xavi eventually gave Barca the lead with an hour gone following a clever pass from Messi and Neymar netted the second 18 minutes from the end to effectively secure the victory.Messi rounded off a delightful move in the 74th minute to ensure Barca stay four points clear of Real Madrid, with the Argentinian now eyeing a record-breaking day against their bitter rivals at the Santiago Bernabeu in a week's time.

Luis Enrique was keen to divert his players' attentions away from records in the build-up, demanding focus on the match itself instead.

But unsurprisingly all eyes were on Messi and he took centre stage, seeing numerous opportunities slip from his grasp before the best chance to break the deadlock arrived in the 20th minute.The Argentine played an incisive one-two with Dani Alves down the right flank, before seeing his effort well blocked by Irureta from point-blank range.

Messi's determination was obvious and he went close again five minutes later, sending a fierce drive just wide of the top-right corner from 20 yards.The hosts continued to monopolise possession as the first half progressed, but the visitors spurned good sights of goal just before the break.

Capa coolly took the ball past Claudio Bravo before shooting into the side of an empty net, while the Chilean was forced into making a save as he denied Berjon when one-on-one.The hosts seemed to struggle during the early stages of the second period, but they did eventually break the deadlock.

Although Messi may not have got the goal himself, the 27-year-old played a pivotal role as he fed a fine throughball into the area for Xavi, who lifted a clever finish over Irureta.Barca ensured the final stages would not be remotely tense as Neymar volleyed in a Dani Alves cross 18 minutes from time, before Messi played a fantastic one-two with the Brazilian forward and fired into the bottom-right corner.

Though Messi went close to equalling the record late on, the 250th goal of his Liga career sets him up nicely as he looks to equal - if not surpass - Zarra's fabled milestone on the grandest of stages next week.

Messi ge 250th La Liga goal eka

 

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Southampton 8-0 Sunderland: Hosts run riot against Poyet's beleaguered side

8-0

 

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BVB la meh season 1ke kanawa wadi​

 

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LiverPoop a good come back

 

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LiverPoop a good come back

Last 5 minutes wala patta gemak gihin neh​