..::Football III::..

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'Ronaldo will relish Anfield hostility' - Ancelotti

Carlo Ancelotti has warned Liverpool fans they are wasting their time if they taunt former Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo on Wednesday night.

Real Madrid face Brendan Rodgers' men in their latest Champions League group stage encounter at Anfield – one of the few major grounds at which the Portugal international is yet to score.

Ronaldo has struck twice in nine games against Liverpool, but is currently on an incredible run of goalscoring form having found the back of the net 20 times in just 13 appearances for club and country this term.

And Madrid boss Ancelotti - who on Monday ruled out the prospect of the 29-year-old ever returning to United - believes nothing can possibly faze his star man and even thinks the hostility on Merseyside could work in his favour."No, he won't be more motivated because it's Liverpool," Ancelotti told The Sun."Cristiano is always super-motivated. But, if the atmosphere is hostile, this motivates him more."

Ancelotti - who lifted the Champions League and the Copa del Rey in his first season as Madrid boss last term - looked back at his maiden campaign in charge of the club at Tuesday’s press conference and revealed how he came close to tears upon being given the job in the summer of 2013.

"I remember I was trying to hold back tears on the day of my presentation as coach of Real Madrid," the former Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan boss added."I knew it was the largest in the world, the world's largest club and was professionally it's been a great pleasure to coach this team."

Madrid have won their opening two group stage games against Ludogorets and Basel, and victory on Wednesday could move them to within touching distance of a place in the knockout stages of the competition.

 

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UEFA Champions League 2014.10.22 Group Stage Fixtures

UEFA Champions League 2014.10.22 Group Stage Fixtures​

Liverpool Vs Real Madrid

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Atletico Madrid Vs Malmo

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Leverkusen Vs Zenit

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Monaco Vs Benfica

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Anderlecht Vs Arsenal

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Olympiacos Vs Juventus

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Ludogorets Vs Basel

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Galatasaray Vs Dortmund

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Barcelona 3-1 Ajax: Messi leads Blaugrana past Dutch champions

 

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Roma 1-7 Bayern Munich: Robben rampant as Bavarians send out Champions League warning

 

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Monaco 0-0 Benfica: Tense goalless stalemate at Stade Louis II

Benfica held on for their first point of this season's Champions League with a 0-0 draw at Monaco despite ending the game with 10 men.

Jorge Jesus' men are once again dominating matters in the Primeira Liga but were frustrated by the hosts at the Stade Louis II in a dreary Group C encounter on Wednesday. The Lisbon club enjoyed the better opportunities on the Cote d'Azur, however, an inspired goalkeeping performance from Danijel Subasic kept Benfica at bay.

Subasic pulled off a number of fine saves in the second half before Benfica centre-back Lisandro Lopez was sent off for a rash challenge on Joao Moutinho.That dismissal had little impact on the game, though, as the two teams played out a stalemate that preserves Monaco's unbeaten start to the competition.

The draw leaves Benfica bottom of the group with just one point to their name ahead of the return clash at the Estadio da Luz in two weeks.Meanwhile, Monaco are second on five points, one behind a Bayer Leverkusen side that went top with a 2-0 win over Zenit.

On his return from an ankle injury Dimitar Berbatov proved an early source of inspiration, presenting Lucas Ocampos with an open goal in the fourth minute, only for the Argentine winger to fire high over the crossbar from inside the six-yard box.

That chance was the best of an uninspiring first half that proved to be a costly one for Monaco as Berbatov's comeback was cut short, the former Manchester United man forced off in the 34th minute and replaced by teenage forward Anthony Martial.

Benfica offered little as an attacking force in the opening period but came close to breaking the deadlock in the 39th minute as Lima was brilliantly denied by Subasic from close range, the Croatian blocking the Brazilian's effort following a superb right-wing cross from Talisca.

Martial shot narrowly wide after the restart but once again the hosts were grateful to their keeper from maintaining parity as Subasic denied Nicolas Gaitan netting a wonderful individual goal.Gaitan cleverly worked his way into the penalty area and unleashed a vicious half-volley that Subasic was equal to as he parried the ball out for a corner.

Jesus' team were the better side for most of the second half, yet they found a shot-stopper in magnificent form in Subasic, who preserved his clean sheet again in the 67th minute, keeping out Eduardo Salvio's low drive.The game turned in Monaco's favour in the 76th minute when Lopez flew in over the ball on Moutinho, leaving Polish referee Szymon Marciniak with little choice but to brandish a straight red card.

Monaco, though, could not take advantage of their numerical advantage and were left to settle for a somewhat underwhelming point, although a similarly defiant display from Subasic in a fortnight's time should stand them in good stead to seal progression from an evenly matched group.

 

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Galatasaray 0-4 Borussia Dortmund: Aubameyang puts BVB on brink of qualification

Borussia Dortmund cemented their place at the top of Champions League Group D with a dominant 4-0 victory at Galatasaray on Wednesday.

Jurgen Klopp's men produced a trademark display of powerful counter-attacking football and the game was essentially out of sight by half-time as Dortmund raced into a three-goal lead at the Turk Telekom Arena.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang opened the scoring when he applied the finishing touch to Marco Reus' excellent low delivery and the Gabon international doubled his tally shortly before the 20-minute mark.Reus then put Dortmund in firm control in the 41st minute with a stunning long-range effort.

There was a sour note for Dortmund when Sven Bender was forced off with an apparent elbow injury in the second half, but Adrian Ramos' goal a minute after coming as a substitute completed the rout.

The victory was a welcome relief for Dortmund who suffered their fifth defeat in eight Bundesliga matches this season at Cologne on Saturday.

However, Dortmund continue to excel in Europe and their third pool victory means another win in the return match with Galatasaray on November 4 will confirm their spot in the knockout stages.It is a completely different story for the hosts, though, who have just one point and face an uphill task to progress.

Dortmund were ahead after just six minutes when Henrikh Mkhitaryan set Reus free down the left and his excellent centre across the penalty area was side-footed home at the back post by Aubameyang.

Galatasaray pushed forward in search of an equaliser, with Alex Telles a threat on the left, but the visitors were a constant threat on the counter-attack and the tactic yielded a second goal in the 18th minute.Mkhitaryan released Lukasz Piszczek beyond left-back Telles on the right and the Poland defender picked out the unmarked Aubameyang, who adjusted his feet well to sweep beyond Fernando Muslera from just outside the six-yard box.

Dortmund were finding gaps in the home defence with ease and Shinji Kagawa should have done better when he shot tamely at Muslera when one-on-one, while Aubameyang wasted a chance for his hat-trick when he inexplicably hit the post with the goal gaping from Mkhitaryan's delivery.However, the third arrived four minutes before half-time when Reus let fly with an unstoppable 25-yard shot that crashed over Muslera's despairing dive and in.

Dortmund had to replace Bender with Matthias Ginter in the 55th minute, but it failed to disrupt the away side's flow and Reus should have hit the target when his half-volley deep inside the penalty area flew high into the stands.The Germany international wasted another chance when he shot straight at Muslera from the edge of the box, before Kagawa dragged wide from 20 yards after showing neat foot work.

But Ramos capped the result in the 83rd minute as he collected fellow substitute Ilkay Gundogan's throughball and kept his cool to give Dortmund a huge shot in the arm ahead of a home game against Hannover when they return to domestic action this weekend.

 

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Ludogorets 1-0 Basel: Minev snatches victory at the death against 10-man Swiss champions

Ten-man Basel failed to hang on to a point as Jordan Minev bagged a stoppage-time goal to seal a 1-0 win for Ludogorets on Wednesday.

The visitors were forced to play at a man disadvantage from the 18th minute when Serey Die was sent off for a challenge on Cosmin Moti, to the consternation of his team-mates.

Paulo Sousa's side looked like holding on for a brave point until left-back Minev popped up with a dramatic winner in the first minute of stoppage time.

Ludogorets had looked devoid of ideas after Basel dropped behind the ball, reduced to shots from distance and an ambitious chip from Dani Abalo the closest they came to scoring.

But the left-back snatched victory late on, making Ludogorets the first Bulgarian team to claim a point in the competition and changing the dynamic of the group as the hosts climbed above Basel, who beat Liverpool on matchday two.

Basel started the game without the injured Marco Streller, who scored the winner against Liverpool, and 17-year-old Breel Embolo impressed in his place, leading the line and feeding off scraps for the majority of the match as he was left isolated up front.

These teams met at the play-off stage of this competition last season as Basel advanced 6-2 on aggregate.

But neither side seemed willing to give too much away in the early exchanges this time, which suited the visitors as they sought to puncture the atmosphere and keep possession.

The game burst into life in the 17th minute as Marcelinho drew an impressive save from Tomas Vaclik, meeting Fabio Espinho's whipped free kick with a full-length diving header from eight yards.

That brought the crowd into the game, and a minute later the volume increased still further as Basel's combative midfielder Serey Die was shown a straight red card.

The Ivorian had already committed to a series of robust challenges but this time was judged to have gone over the ball on Moti, leaving his side to play with 10 men for more than 70 minutes.

Basel proceeded to drop deeper behind the ball, but only after a period of pressure that saw Derlis Gonzalez test Vladislav Stoyanov with a curling shot following neat build-up, in the 28th minute.

Ludogorets struggled to deal with the visitors' switch in shape, making poor decisions in the final third and failing to create anything clear-cut.

The hosts improved after the break, however, and Vaclik had to backpedal quickly to tip Abalo's clever chip over the bar in the 52nd minute.

But Ludogorets failed to build on that good start to the second half. Younes Hamza wasted their only half chances until Minev popped up on the counter-attack with a well-struck shot from 18 yards that bounced past Vaclik and into the bottom corner.

 

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Olympiakos 1-0 Juventus: Kasami strikes as Old Lady stumble in Athens

An outstanding second-half performance from Olympiakos goalkeeper Roberto helped earn his side a 1-0 win over Juventus on Wednesday.

With the Greek side leading thanks to Pajtim Kasami's first-half goal at the Karaiskakis Stadium in this Champions League Group A encounter, Spaniard Roberto produced a string of superb saves after the interval to ensure they claimed all three points.

In the space of 15 minutes midway through the second period, he made remarkable stops to deny Alvaro Morata, Paul Pogba and Carlos Tevez on what was a frustrating night for Massimiliano Allegri's men.

Former Fulham man Kasami had earlier struck a low finish into the bottom left-hand corner as Olympiakos continued their strong recent run of results at home on Europe's biggest club stage.

Over the past 12 months, Olympiakos have beaten Benfica, Anderlecht, Manchester United and Atletico Madrid on their own soil, and this result against the Italian champions represented their fifth consecutive home victory in the Champions League.

Juve, who dropped points in Serie A for the first time this season on Saturday with a 1-1 draw at Sassuolo, had Chile international Arturo Vidal back in the side after he was rested at the weekend, but the midfielder failed to have a telling impact as Olympiakos held on to move onto six points at the halfway stage in the group - three more than Juventus.

The hosts made a bright start, Kostas Mitroglou flicking a half-chance wide before Alejandro Dominguez brought a flying save out of Gianluigi Buffon with a free-kick in the opening seven minutes.

Juve went close themselves five minutes later as Tevez's stabbed effort was headed off the line by Omar Elabdellaoui as Olympiakos failed to deal with Andrea Pirlo's corner.

Tevez did have the ball in the net in the 20th minute, but his header was rightly disallowed for offside as the hosts showed further hesitancy from a Pirlo set-piece.

The game continued to ebb and flow, and a superb touch and volley from Dominguez flashed across the face of goal in the 27th minute.

Ten minutes before the break, Olympiakos opened the scoring with a well-worked goal.

Dominguez led the break and played the ball to Mitroglou, who laid a pass back into Kasami for the midfielder to fire left-footed beyond Buffon from the edge of the penalty area.

Morata went close with a left-footed volley six minutes after the interval.

Kasami should have doubled his and Olympiakos' tally on the hour mark, but he rolled the ball wide from six yards after being teed up by the influential Dominguez.

Juve almost took advantage of that miss five minutes later, but Roberto brilliantly parried Morata's thumping effort from eight yards.

Roberto performed heroics once more as the game entered the final quarter of an hour, clawing away Pogba's cross before keeping out Tevez's close-range effort with his legs.

With nine minutes remaining, he pulled off another outstanding save, reacting sharply to tip Morata's fierce drive onto the crossbar as Juve continued to press hard for an equaliser.

But a leveller did not arrive as the Greek side held on for a battling victory that puts them in pole position to qualify for the knockout stages.

 

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Atletico Madrid 5-0 Malmo: Mandzukic and Griezmann sweep past Swedes

Koke scored one and claimed two assists as Atletico Madrid swept aside Malmo 5-0 to go level on points with Olympiakos in Champions League Group A on Wednesday.

The Spain midfielder scored his second of the season from close range just after half-time and that was the signal for the floodgates to open.

Koke then crossed for Mario Mandzukic to slide in a second and Antoine Griezmann rifled in with just less than half an hour to go on his first Champions League start.

Captain Diego Godin powerfully headed home late on and substitute Alessio Cerci completed the scoring in injury time.

Malmo had defended resolutely in the first half and could have gone in front on the stroke of half-time through Eriksson's free kick, but ultimately they were no match for Atletico, who extended their phenomenal home record in European competition to 19 wins in the last 21 games.

Diego Simeone made five changes from the victory over Espanyol, with Tiago and Cristian Ansaldi out injured, while Miranda was recalled and Frenchman Griezmann came in.

Malmo had injury problems of their own and made three changes, with Markus Halsti, Erik Johansson and Isaac Kiese Thelin all coming in.

The Swedish champions boasted plenty of height in their team and Halsti's header forced Miguel Angel Moya to turn his header over after four minutes.

That was an exception to the rule of a first half which saw Atletico dominate for large periods, and Griezmann almost made the most of a long pass after beating the offside trap, but Robin Olsen rushed off his line to thwart him.

Simeone's men should have gone ahead after 33 minutes when Arda Turan's pass left Griezmann with just Olsen to beat, but he hammered his shot onto the underside of the bar and Mandzukic's headed rebound was blocked by Johansson on the line.

The visitors almost snatched the lead in first-half injury time, but Magnus Eriksson's curling free kick was tipped over by Moya.

Atletico went in front two minutes after half-time in intricate fashion. Patient build-up play was rewarded when Turan lifted a pass through to Koke six yards out and he slotted home with ease.

The neat passing almost brought a second three minutes later as Koke set up Mario Suarez just inside the area, but Olsen parried the swerving shot to safety.

If Atletico needed to be warned about being complacent, Emil Forsberg provided it after 59 minutes when he lashed a shot just wide.

And the hosts gave themselves a two-goal cushion a minute later through a lovely passing move that culminated with Koke's low cross being converted by Mandzukic for his second Champions League goal this season.

The scoreline became even more emphatic two minutes later and Koke was once again involved as he found Griezmann, who found space to fire goalwards and, although Olsen got something on it, the ball bounced away and in for the third.

Godin grabbed the fourth with a well-taken header and, with the last attack, Cerci rattled the post before curling in the rebound to complete a convincing Atletico triumph.

 

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Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 Zenit: Donati and Papadopoulos send Germans top

Zenit St Peterburg's long unbeaten run came to an end as Bayer Leverkusen won 2-0 to move to the summit of Champions League Group C.

Giulio Donati put the German side ahead just after half-time at the BayArena on Wednesday before Kyriakos Papadopoulos doubled the advantage with his first touch five minutes later.Their efforts were enough to ensure Zenit tasted defeat for the first time in 17 games, with the Germans moving top of the pool thanks to Monaco's goalless stalemate with Benfica.

Zenit held first place at the start of the night having begun their campaign with a 2-0 win at Benfica and 0-0 draw with Monaco.

Yet they did not show the same quality against a Leverkusen side who got their campaign back on track with a 3-1 win over Benfica on matchday two. Even Brazilian defender Wendell's 79th-minute sending off could not spark a turnaround as the German side took the spoils.

The hosts made one switch from the XI that beat Benfica, Donati replacing Roberto Hilbert at right-back - a decision from Roger Schmidt which proved inspired.Zenit's sole alteration saw Axel Witsel come back into the starting line-up in place of Oleg Shatov.The visitors enjoyed the better start, although the Bundesliga side created the first chance when Emir Spahic's glancing header flew just wide.

But that proved a rare early opening, as the sides largely cancelled each other out.
Indeed, the only drama in the initial stages was provided by referee Bjorn Kuipers, who showed several questionable yellow cards - with Hulk, Viktor Fayzulin and Javi Garcia all cautioned for Zenit in a nine-minute spell.

Leverkusen did at least show more endeavour as the half wore on, Hakan Calhanoglu's powerful 25-yard effort forcing Yuri Lodigin into a solid save.The goalkeeper had to be on high alert again soon afterwards, diving low to his right to keep out Calhanoglu's header from Lars Bender's cross.

That seemed to spark Zenit into life, illustrated when Hulk's attempt from distance flew just wide.However, they could not maintain the momentum after half-time, with Leverkusen taking a 58th-minute lead when Donati rifled a strike into the bottom corner from 20 yards.

Leverkusen doubled their advantage almost immediately as Papadopoulos rose highest to nod Calhanoglu's superb curling free-kick beyond a helpless Lodigin.
The chances of a twist in the tale seemed greater when Wendell picked up his second yellow card for handball.

But, if anything, the hosts kept pressing in the final stages and could have scored again with Donati seeing two strong shouts for a penalty waved away.It mattered little, however, as Leverkusen cruised through to maintain their unbeaten start at home under Schmidt.

 

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Anderlecht 1-2 Arsenal: Late turnaround hands Wenger timely birthday present

A late Lukas Podolski goal gave Arsenal a dramatic 2-1 win over Anderlecht in the Champions League on Wednesday evening.

Arsenal looked down and out after Andy Najar's 71st-minute header gave Anderlecht a deserved lead in the Group D Champions League encounter.

But Anthony Vanden Borre hit the post and Anderlecht wasted other late chances, for which they were made to pay.

Kieran Gibbs first drew Arsenal level in the 88th minute, volleying home at the back post, before Podolski rifled in from close range in the 91st minute.

Chancel Mbemba Mangulu could not clear Alexis Sanchez's cut-back and the rebound fell invitingly to the Germany international, who sent the away fans wild with a simple finish from four yards.


And the win means Arsenal are in a strong position to qualify from Group D, with their last-gasp triumph putting them five points clear of both Anderlecht and Galatasaray - who were beaten 4-0 by Borussia Dortmund - in second.

With Wojciech Szczesny suspended and back-up David Ospina sidelined with a thigh injury, Arsene Wenger handed a start in goal to former Argentina youth international Emiliano Martinez.

Martinez conceded five times in his last Arsenal appearance, an incredible 7-5 win over Reading after extra time in the League Cup's last 16 in October 2012.

But a repeat never looked likely in an uninspiring first half, which saw Arsenal shade the contest but fail to create many meaningful chances.

The closest Arsenal came was in the 16th minute, when Danny Welbeck headed Alexis' cross over after a quick break, while the Chilean, Santi Cazorla and Per Mertesacker were all guilty of spurning good openings.

Anderlecht were far from threatening, either, and a series of blocks and defensive headers from Arsenal meant it took 39 minutes for Martinez to be called into action, as he rushed off his line to deny to Dennis Praet from an acute angle.

Alexis had a good chance to give Arsenal the lead five minutes into the second half, but with his back to goal, his flick - which came off his shoulder - could not beat goalkeeper Silvio Proto from Cazorla's free-kick.

Aaron Ramsey then fired wide after Alexis' cut-back, before Gohi Cyriac shot at Martinez at the other end.

Anderlecht were growing into the game, as Praet fired over, and shortly after Cazorla's close call - which saw Proto deny him with an excellent save - the hosts took the lead.

Najar inspired the sweeping counter-attack, bursting down the right before feeding Praet, who composed himself and swung in an excellent cross.

And Najar continued his run, nodding a free header past Martinez and into the bottom-right corner.

Vanden Borre could have wrapped up the win for Anderlecht with 11 minutes left, but his mis-hit effort struck the post after good work from Najar and Praet, and Arsenal made them pay - Gibbs volleying a side-footed finish past Proto from Calum Chambers' cross.

The goal lifted Arsenal and they surged forward in search of a winner - which came from the boot of Podolski.

 

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Arsenal late comeback 1kak​

 

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Liverpool 0-3 Real Madrid: Benzema & Ronaldo rout Reds

Real Madrid ran out comfortable 3-0 winners over Liverpool at Anfield on Wednesday evening, as Cristiano Ronaldo continued his superb run of form.

The Portugal international netted for the 20th time in 13 appearances this season to open the scoring, and subsequently moved within one of former Real stalwart Raul's Champions League competition record of 71 goals.

While the European champions' first featured slick passing and a world-class finish, Liverpool were the architects of their own downfall from there as Karim Benzema twice capitalised on slack defending to net a double before half-time.

It was a matter of damage limitation for Liverpool after that, with the Premier League side playing out a spirited second half without a recognised striker.

Real retained their menace throughout but were able to leave plenty in reserve for Saturday's mouthwatering El Clasico showdown with arch-rivals Barcelona.

Under-fire forward Mario Balotelli retained the faith of home manager Brendan Rodgers and the enigmatic Italian passed up the chance to play through Raheem Sterling when Isco lost possession in the second minute.

Ronaldo then thundered an early drive into the chest of Simon Mignolet, while there were awkward moments for the Liverpool goalkeeper's opposite number.

Iker Casillas parried the ball clear when a long-range Steven Gerrard strike dipped awkwardly and the experienced shot-stopper then showed poor handling from a 13th-minute corner.

Casillas and Madrid's travelling fans had their nerves settled, though, when Ronaldo opened the scoring in superb fashion after 23 minutes.

Having exchanged passes with Benzema, the Ballon d'Or holder charged onto a chipped return ball from James Rodriguez to sweep home on the half-volley.

And Liverpool had a mountain to climb with half an hour played, as Benzema looped a header beyond Mignolet on the end of Toni Kroos' floated cross.

A rare moment of indecision allowed Glen Johnson to deny Ronaldo five minutes before half-time but woeful defending from the resulting corner sealed Liverpool's fate.

Pepe knocked down Kroos' delivery and the ball squirmed beyond Mignolet and flailing Liverpool legs to leave Benzema with a simple tap-in.

The recalled Joe Allen side-footed wide and fellow midfielder Philippe Coutinho clattered a shot against the post from distance, but Liverpool could not grasp a lifeline before half-time.

Balotelli exchanged shirts with Pepe at the interval and it was his last act, as Adam Lallana replaced the former Manchester City man for the start of the second period.

Liverpool attacked in spirited fashion upon the resumption, although a vital challenge from Martin Skrtel to stop a storming run from Isco demonstrated the perils they still faced against a counter-attacking Real.

Skrtel was caught napping by a rampaging Ronaldo in the 62nd minute and Mignolet got behind a firmly struck shot, before denying the same player from close range as Real sliced through the home defence once more.

Sterling kept Casillas involved at the other end and Allen scrambled a shot wide in the 72nd minute before Benzema and Rodriguez combined incisively for the latter to steer wide in front of the Kop.

Three wins from three means Real's passage from Group B is already virtually assured, while Liverpool must bounce back from consecutive defeats to overhaul second-placed Basel.

 

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Fabregas could be next Chelsea captain, hints Mourinho


Jose Mourinho has suggested that Cesc Fabregas could one day succeed John Terry as Chelsea captain.

Fabregas has made an exceptional start to his Blues career since joining from Barcelona in a €36 million deal in the summer, racking up nine assists in his first 11 appearances in all competitions.

Many Arsenal fans have watched their former idol's performances with a mixture of sadness and frustration, and Mourinho has now twisted the knife further by hinting that Fabregas could one day inherit the armband from Terry.

"[Fabregas] is a better guy than I thought", the Portuguese told ITV. "He’s a fantastic guy, he’s a fantastic professional.

"Now I understand why at the age of 19 or 20 or 21 he was Arsenal captain."

Mourinho then added: "When I am the manager at Chelsea the armband will go to another arm that has been in this club for many many years.

"But one thing is [the leader’s] brain needs to be connected with the manager, and his brain is connected to mine during matches."

 

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Barcelona image 'dirtied again' as former president Nunez is set for prison

Former Barcelona president Josep Lluis Nunez is set for a spell in prison after what has been described as the "greatest corruption scandal in the history of Catalunya".

Nunez, Barca president between 1978 and 2000, oversaw the building of La Masia and was in charge during the Dream Team era, but was found guilty of tax evasion along with his son in 2011 and sentenced to six years in prison.

In a fraud case described by El Pais as "the greatest corruption scandal in the history of Catalunya", the Basque-born businessman and his son were found to have hatched a plan which saw them evade taxes to the tune of €13 million in the late 1990s.

The sentence was put back on immediate appeal in 2011, but magistrates have rejected a fresh plea from the family's lawyers to avoid prison altogether and the pair now look likely to face a term in jail later this year.

The news is the latest in a long line of scandals to rock Barcelona over the past year, with Lionel Messi caught up in allegations of tax fraud, former president Sandro Rosell in court following corruption claims in the Neymar transfer and Barca banned from signing players in 2015 due to irregularities in the recruitment of young players.

"It's another problem for Barca," Johan Cruyff told reporters after the Uefa Youth League match between Barca and Ajax on Tuesday. "How many problems like this have we seen over the last few years? Six? Seven? Eight?"

And Cruyff, who instructed Nunez to build an Ajax-style academy on his departure as a player in 1978 and later worked under the Basque during his time as coach at Camp Nou between 1988 and 1996, added: "It damages the image of Barca. It's the worst thing you can imagine [for the club]. It's not about one person or about another; it dirties the image [of Barca]."

 

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Messi: I want to beat Real Madrid, not break the record


Barcelona star Lionel Messi says Real Madrid in Saturday's Clasico is his main priority, instead of breaking Telmo Zarra's Liga goalscoring record.The Argentine star is just one goal away from levelling the league's all-time highest scorer, having netted his 250th goal in the 3-0 win over Eibar.

Coming up against fierce rivals Madrid on Saturday means Messi could equal or break the record in the Santiago Bernabeu, but he insists he is not thinking about doing so, only picking up the three points against Carlo Ancelotti's side."We will go there to do our best and to try and win," he told reporters. It will not decide anything, there is a lot of time left in the league, but we will try and win and play well.

"The important thing is to win there, not to beat Zarra’s record."Real Madrid and Barca kick off at 18:00CET at the Bernabeu on Saturday.

 

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Shaw: Man Utd-Chelsea one of the biggest games in world football


Manchester United defender Luke Shaw insists he is "really looking forward" to taking on boyhood club Chelsea at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Released by the Blues as a youngster, Shaw went on to establish himself as one of the brightest English talents during his time at Southampton before sealing a €39 million move to United in the summer, making him the most expensive teenager in football history.

And with Jose Mourinho's Premier League leaders set to face his new club on Sunday, the 19-year-old says he is itching to show what he is capable of.

"Playing against Chelsea is a big thing in my family and among my friends because I was born around that area of London," he told Inside United magazine. "I used to watch them when I was younger, which is something I'm sure people know by now.

"When I first played at Stamford Bridge with Southampton it was a bit of a surreal experience in a lot of ways because it was at a ground I'd visited as a kid.

"But playing against Chelsea with United at Old Trafford is a different proposition altogether. I'm really looking forward to it, especially with how big this fixture is. Everyone knows that United-Chelsea games are massive, so it's something I'm really looking forward to.

"It's a huge game – I think you can safely say it's one of the biggest games in world football and there will be people everywhere watching it on TV. There aren't many games that are bigger than this one and that's why I'm really hoping to be a part of it. I want to show people what I can do in games like this."

 

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Atletico must keep up momentum, urges Koke

Koke urged Atletico Madrid to keep up their momentum after playing a key role in Wednesday's 5-0 Champions League demolition of Malmo.

After a frustrating first half in which a number of chances were spurned, the Spain international opened the scoring for Diego Simeone's men from close range and the floodgates opened.

The midfielder's influence grew as he crossed for Mario Mandzukic to score the second, fed Antoine Griezmann for the third and Diego Godin headed in his corner for a late fourth.Alessio Cerci rounded off the scoring in injury time and while admitting frustration at trying to break down Malmo's defence, Koke believes last season's finalists Atletico should look to progress as swiftly as possible.

"We have to go and win our remaining games to avoid relying on others. We have six points, we're at the top and that's what's important," Koke is quoted by AS.
"We tried in the first half but they didn't give much space. We tried with a lot of crosses and we had bad luck when Griezmann hit the crossbar."We tried to score from close range, from distance, in the end we worked hard and I was lucky to score the first, and from there the goals came."

Frenchman Griezmann was making his first Champions League start and missed a superb chance in the first half when he rattled the bar after latching on to Arda Turan's measured pass, but he got his rewards after the interval with a finish that bounced in off Malmo goalkeeper Robin Olsen.

And Griezmann admitted that it was exactly what he needed. He said: "Actually, I needed a game like that and a goal."It's a shame about the shot in the first half that hit the bar but we've achieved an important victory, we have six points and we have to keep improving."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Arsenal fighting spirit vital to Champions League chances - Wenger

Arsene Wenger hailed Arsenal's fighting spirit after their last-gasp 2-1 Champions League win at Anderlecht.

A dull first half was followed by Andy Najar heading Anderlecht into a deserved 71st-minute lead in Belgium on Wednesday.

Arsenal dug deep, though, and levelled through Kieran Gibbs in the 89th minute, before Lukas Podolski sealed all three points in dramatic fashion.

Podolski's 91st-minute winner - which came after Chancel Mbemba Mangulu could not clear Alexis Sanchez's cut-back - gave Wenger the ideal 65th birthday present and he was effusive in his praise of his players afterwards.

"We kept going and scored two good goals," Wenger said. "We had the spirit. It was vital for us to have the chance to qualify.

"We are in a strong position now because Galatasaray and Anderlecht have only one point. It's down to us to win our home games and we are through."

Arsenal sit second in Group D with six points - three behind Borussia Dortmund.

And left-back Gibbs admitted the win was "massive" for Arsenal as they moved a step closer to the competition's last 16.

"Credit to the boys. We didn't give up," Gibbs said.

"It wasn't easy to come here but we kept going and it was difficult but we have got the result we wanted. It's a massive result for us."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Pogba: Juventus must be more clinical in front of goal

Paul Pogba has expressed his frustration after Juventus were beaten 1-0 by Olympiakos and says that the Italians must be more clinical in front of goal.

A Pajtim Kasami goal on 36 minutes proved to be the difference between the two sides in Athens, but Carlos Tevez, Alvaro Morata and Pogba himself all had late opportunites to salvage a draw.

"We need to be more clinical in front of goal. You can't win games without scoring," Pogba told Sky Sport at full time.

"We were better in the second half, but their goalkeeper played great."

Olympiakos goalkeeper Roberto was in inspired form in the final 20 minutes, pulling off one magnificent stop from Morata when he pushed the striker's drive onto the crossbar.

Tevez said after the match that his side need "a new mentality" but Pogba rejects the notion that Juventus lack the mental strength to succeed in Europe.

"Every team in the Champions League is strong, we need to improve," he added.

"There is not the same space to play in Europe that there is in Serie A. I don't think we have a psychological problem in Europe. I think we just lack a certain calmness in front of goal."

Juventus' defeat means they now drop down to third place in Group A with just three points from three games.

Atletico Madrid thrashed Malmo 5-0 in Spain to join Olympiakos on six points, although the Greeks are top of the group due to a superior head-to-head.