..::Football III::..

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APOEL 0-4 Barcelona: Messi smashes Champions League record

Lionel Messi smashed the all-time Champions League goalscoring record by netting a hat-trick in Barcelona's 4-0 win at APOEL on Tuesday night.

The Argentina forward broke the La Liga goalscoring record by netting three times in a 5-1 thrashing of Sevilla on Saturday and he was at it again in Nicosia three days later.

Messi's struck after 38 minutes in the Group F encounter at the Neo GSP Stadium to pass Real Madrid legend Raul's record of 71 goals in Europe's premier club competition.

The mercurial Barca talisman's latest milestone came after Luis Suarez scored his first goal for the Catalan giants with a fine turn and finish as the Cypriot champions were totally outclassed.

Suarez had failed to find the back of the net in his first five matches since making his debut following a four-month ban for biting Italy Giorgio Chiellini during the World Cup, but his opening goal was worth the wait.

But it was Messi's night and he struck twice in the second half as Barca, who were already assured of a place in the last 16, eased to a victory that ensured their final group match against Paris Saint-Germain next month will decide who finishes top.

Barca had Rafinha sent off for a second bookable offence 20 minutes from time and defender Joao Guilherme was dismissed for the home side, who head to Ajax for their final game needing a win to secure a Europa League spot at the expense of the Eredivisie side.

Neymar and Xavi dropped to the bench as Luis Enrique made five changes to the side that hammered Sevilla, while APOEL striker Vinicius was passed fit after recovering from a knee injury.

Stand-in skipper Messi spurned a chance to surpass Raul after only two minutes as Urko Pardo saved his effort from the edge of the penalty area with his feet.

APOEL were inviting pressure as they sat far too deep and Jordi Alba should have made them pay when he surged forward and volleyed over the crossbar from close range after Messi picked him out with a sublime pass.

It was only a matter of time before Barca went in front and the opening goal came courtesy of a moment of class from Suarez after 27 minutes.

The Uruguay striker took a pass from Alba on the corner of the area and turned his marker with a lovely piece of skill before taking his time to beat Pardo with a measured right-footed finish to end his wait for a first Barca goal.

Messi then took centre stage yet again seven minutes before the break, when the recalled Rafinha tried his luck and the Argentine turned his shot beyond the wrong-footed Pardo to pass yet another landmark.

The visitors carried on where they left off after the interval and Messi took his Champions League goal tally to 73 with a clinical right-footed finish after Dani Alves had picked him out with an incisive pass 58 minutes in.

APOEL had offered nothing going forward, but were denied a first goal in four games when Marc-Andre ter Stegen produced an outstanding save to deny Tomas De Vincenti.

Rafinha was then shown a second yellow card for a challenge on De Vincenti before APOEL were also reduced to 10 six minutes from time when Joao Guilherme was given his marching orders for a challenge on Pedro.

There was still time for Messi to add his third goal, applying the finish after Pedro had linked up with Xavi and cut the ball back for the man of the moment to score his second hat-trick in as many games.

 

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Messi gen thawath record 1kak

Congratzzzzzzz Messi!

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PSG 3-1 Ajax: Ibrahimovic & Cavani combine to down Dutch champions

Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edinson Cavani underlined their star quality as Paris Saint-Germain earned a 3-1 victory over Ajax on Tuesday night.

The strike partners were at their brilliant best at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday, Cavani netting either side of a superb Ibrahimovic volley to boost PSG's hopes of winning Champions League Group F

Their efforts, which sandwiched a Davy Klaassen leveller midway through the second period, ensured the French side remained at the summit of the pool - one point ahead of final opponents Barcelona.

Few gave the visitors a chance heading into the clash, with PSG battling with Barca to reach the last 16 as group winners having already sealed their progression.

And Ajax's hopes were further undermined when Cavani grabbed his 10th goal of the season, only for Klaassen to impressively level midway through the second period.

But his fine header merely reawakened PSG, who took their points haul to 13 from five games thanks to their dynamic duo up front.

PSG made a promising start and Javier Pastore launched a counter-attack that ended with Cavani seeing his effort blocked by Mike van der Hoorn.

The home side continued to enjoy the better of the early exchanges as Ajax, forced to withdraw Nicolai Boilesen after 10 minutes due to a knee injury, struggled for a foothold.

Ibrahimovic and Cavani were unsurprisingly the biggest threat, epitomised by the former curling just over from distance.

The best chance in the opening 25 minutes fell to Ezequiel Lavezzi, only for the attacking midfielder to hit straight at Jasper Cillessen after running on to Ibrahimovic's fine throughball.

But the Argentine was more clinical when Ibrahimovic delivered a similar pass nine minutes later, side-footing into the path of Cavani - who made no mistake when slotting into an unguarded net for his sixth goal in seven goals.

Ajax came flying out of the blocks after the interval, although the home side's defending was proving resolute.

Indeed, PSG - despite having less possession - continued to look more threatening, although Adrien Rabiot's strike over the crossbar did not trouble Cillessen.

But Ajax found a leveller midway through the second period when Ricardo Kishna's pin-point cross evaded David Luiz and found Klaassen, whose bullet diving header flew into the bottom corner.

That goal only served to restore PSG's concentration, however, with the French champions finding a clinical response.

Ibrahimovic led the way, superbly chesting down Pastore's pass before unleashing a pin-point volley into the corner.

While that goal owed much to brilliance, the hosts were gifted a third when Niki Zimling came up woefully short and allowed Cavani to round Cillessen and slot home the simplest of goals, rounding off a fine outing for Laurent Blanc's men.

 

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Shakhtar Donetsk 0-1 Athletic Bilbao: San Jose earns Basques first win

Mikel San Jose scored the only goal of the game as Athletic Bilbao picked up their first Champions League win by beating Shakhtar Donetsk 1-0 on Tuesday evening.

Shakhtar qualified for the round of 16 in Europe's premier club competition after Porto won 3-0 at BATE earlier on Tuesday.

But a poor home defeat against a Bilbao side that had collected just one point from their first four Group H matches means Shakhtar cannot finish first in the pool - regardless of what happens against leaders Porto next month.

Defender San Jose scored the game's only goal in the 68th minute, making the most of slack marking to flick Benat Etxebarria's free-kick into the roof of the net for Bilbao, who moved above BATE and into third.

Shakhtar were desperately unlucky not to win a late penalty, though, after Mikel Balenziaga clearly handled the ball to keep out a late shot.

The hosts were exceptionally sluggish throughout the contest in Lviv and wasted the few chances they created in front of goal.

Much of the pre-match attention surrounded Luiz Adriano, who was out to make Champions League history and be the first player to score 10 goals in the competition's group stages.

The Brazilian entered the match with nine - eight of which have come against BATE - but like his team-mates, he was frustrated by a stubborn Bilbao defence.

And Luiz Adriano will have no further chance to claim the record, after a second-half yellow card - for an arm across San Jose - saw him banned for the trip to Portugal, a match that captain Darijo Srna will also miss through suspension after a late booking.

Bilbao's pressing and excellent use of the offside trap kept Shakhtar at bay in the first half, but the hosts did have a great chance to take the lead in the seventh minute, only for Alex Teixeira to shoot at Gorka Iraizoz when sent through on goal by Fernando.

Bilbao - who rested top scorer Aritz Aduriz from the start - offered a reminder of their threat in the 25th minute when San Jose nodded just wide, while another Athletic defender, Xabier Etxeita, was forced off with injury and replaced by Carlos Gurpegui just after the half-hour mark.

Douglas Costa could only shoot wide after a storming run on the stroke of half-time and although the same man was on target after the break, Iraizoz was equal to the task.

Shakhtar turned the screw, ever so briefly, but Luiz Adriano and Taison both wasted good chances, the former half-volleying wide from close range.

The ineffectual Taison hit a tame effort at Iraizoz and Shakhtar's malaise was summed up perfectly by Costa's free-kick attempt in the 64th minute that sailed well over the goal.

Ernesto Valverde began to think his Bilbao side could produce an upset and introduced Aduriz for Markel Susaeta, and although that change did not bring about the opener, the visitors were soon celebrating.

Instead it was San Jose - who posed a threat at set-pieces throughout the match - who netted for Bilbao, as he, completely unmarked, produced a smart finish from Benat's set-piece.

Bilbao looked the more likely to score again, as another Benat free-kick went close, while Iker Muniain only just shot wide to end a neat move from the visitors.

But for Bilbao - who simply did the basics right - one goal was enough against a poor Shakhtar outfit, who were left to bemoan an oversight from the officials following Balenziaga's blatant handball.

 

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Schalke 0-5 Chelsea: Mourinho's men cruise into Champions League last 16

Chelsea romped to a 5-0 victory away against Schalke to confirm themselves as winners of their Champions League group with a game to spare.

The Blues took the lead in just the second minute when John Terry headed home a corner and their superiority was clear from that point onward.

Willian finished a glorious team move to double their advantage just before the half-hour before Schalke's Jan Kirchhoff, having a dreadful game and hauled off at the break moments later, inexplicably headed into his own net under no pressure from a Chelsea corner.

Jose Mourinho's side continued to push in the second half and, galvanised by Didier Drogba's arrival as a substitute, scored two in quick succession through the Ivorian and then Ramires to turn a convincing win into a humiliation.

With Champions League-winning former Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo now in charge, Schalke went into the game unbeaten at home this season but were utterly outclassed by the visitors' sharp passing and slick movement up front.

The hosts were still missing Julian Draxler due to a thigh injury but Dennis Aogo returned to replace Christian Fuchs after sitting out Saturday's 3-2 Bundesliga win over Wolfsburg as Di Matteo reverted to a back four.

Mourinho signalled his intent by sticking with the same team which beat West Brom last time out, meaning that Thibaut Courtois returned to Champions League action after being rested for both games against Maribor.

Diego Costa had an early chance on the break which Ralf Fahrmann was forced to turn away for a corner, from which Terry rose highest to head home Cesc Fabregas's delivery with less than two minutes gone.

The visitors were fortunate to stay in front when an Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting shot deflected off Gary Cahill and over Courtois but bounced back off the crossbar.

Chelsea continued to look dangerous with some slick passing moves on the counterattack and they doubled their lead just before the half-hour mark when Willian fired past Fahrmann with a low shot after a neat one-two with Eden Hazard.

Costa could have made it three when intercepting a poor back-pass but the striker slipped when rounding the goalkeeper and Fahrmann did well to save an Oscar volley after a sublime chip from Fabregas.

However, Jan Kirchhoff capped off a woeful first half for Schalke by heading into his own net from another Fabregas corner to put Chelsea in total control.

The hapless Kirchhoff was hauled off at the interval and Terry did well to block an effort from substitute Christian Clemens.

At the other end, Branislav Ivanovic blasted a volley inches over the bar after a lovely cross from Willian on the break.

Just as the match appeared to be petering out, Chelsea broke away from deep and Willian unselfishly passed to Drogba to tap into an open net and the Ivory Coast forward then crossed for Ramires to head in at the far post.

Hazard was denied a sixth in stoppage time by a superb Fahrmann save but it was still a great night for Chelsea.

 

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CSKA Moscow 1-1 Roma: Berezutskiy snatches a point at the death after Totti thunderbolt

Vasiliy Berezutskiy scored with the final kick of the game to earn CSKA Moscow a 1-1 draw with Roma in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Roma captain Francesco Totti, already the oldest scorer in Europe's premier club competition at the age of 38, looked to have settled matters at Arena Khimki with a powerful free kick towards the end of the first period.

However, with CSKA facing elimination from Group E, Berezutskiy found the net somewhat fortuitously in the last minute of second-half stoppage time, as an apparent cross from the left evaded everyone and found the far corner.

CSKA's dramatic equaliser also represented a huge boost for Manchester City, who were facing the prospect of hosting Bayern Munich later on Tuesday with a five-point deficit to make up on Roma.

Rudi Garcia's side welcome the English champions to Italy's capital in a fortnight's time in their final group game and will no doubt rue glaring misses from Radja Nainggolan and Adem Ljajic in the second half against CSKA, who Roma remain level with on five points.

Having been thrashed 5-1 in the reverse fixture, CSKA initially adopted a cautious approach in another game played behind closed doors due to Uefa sanctions, but were able to offer a threat on the counterattack, as they had done so effectively in their triumph at City.

With the hosts content to defend in numbers and Roma initially lacking dynamism in the final third, the opening half-hour passed by with little in the way of goalmouth action.

However, the game began to open up as the interval approached and Alessandro Florenzi – operating as a right-back in the absence of the injured Maicon - shot powerfully across goal in the 36th minute following a delightful first-time pass from Totti.

Veteran goalkeeper Morgan De Sanctis was soon called into action at the other end, staying big to deny Seydou Doumbia after the striker had latched on to a throughball from the fit-again Bebras Natcho.

The save soon took on greater significance as Berezutskiy brought down Florenzi on the edge of the penalty area and Totti lashed the resulting free kick past Igor Akinfeev from 20 yards.

Nainggolan was guilty of a terrible miss 14 minutes after the interval as Roma looked to put the tie to bed.

Under no pressure, the midfielder dragged a shot wide from inside the CSKA area when he really should have at least tested Akinfeev.

Mario Fernandes put the ball in the Roma net midway through the second period, but the full-back had already been adjudged offside.

De Sanctis then made routine stops to deny Ahmed Musa and Alan Dzagoev, before Roma again came close to a second as a swift break ended with Akinfeev sticking out his left boot to save superbly from Ljajic.

CSKA were able to capitalise on their goalkeeper's good work, as Berezutskiy's delivery from the left missed Dzagoev and Doumbia but left De Sanctis helpless.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Group E hoda fight 1kak yai next matches wala.2nd,3rd & 4th place points equal wela thiyenne

 

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Messi: Champions League record a wonderful thing

Lionel Messi admitted that becoming the Champions League's all-time leading goalscorer was "a wonderful thing" but he was more pleased to have helped Barcelona to a resounding 4-0 win over APOEL on Tuesday night.

The Argentine had gone into the Group F clash level with Real Madrid icon Raul on 71 goals but he took outright possession of the record when he deflected home a shot from Rafinha seven minutes before the break to double the Blaugrana's advantage, with Luis Suarez having broken the deadlock with his first goal since his summer arrival from Liverpool.Messi struck again just before the hour mark and then completed his hat-trick in the dying minutes.

It was the 27-year-old's second history-making treble in just three days, with the diminutive forward having broken the all-time Liga goalscoring record in a 5-1 win over Sevilla on Saturday.However, Messi insisted that he was more satisfied with Barca's impressive form than his latest milestone.

"Achieving this record in a competition like this is a wonderful thing," the four-time Ballon d'Or winner told reporters after the game."But, beyond that, it was a very important game. We were able to get the three points and that's what really matters.

"We must continue as we are, meet the objectives of the beginning of the year and try to stay on this path."Barca's win means they remain second in Group F, just a point Paris Saint-Germain, who defeated Ajax 3-1 at the Parc des Princes.

Consequently, the victors will take top spot when the two sides collide at Camp Nou next month.

"Against PSG it will be a difficult match," Messi mused. "They have very good players who know each other and are growing."We are the home team and we will try to be first; that's what we want."

 

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I'm still not fully fit, says PSG hero Ibrahimovic

Zlatan Ibrahimovic says he is still not fully fit - despite having netted a crucial goal in Paris Saint-Germain’s 3-1 Champions League win over Ajax on Tuesday.

The Swede put the French champions back in front shortly after Davy Klaassen’s second-half equaliser had threatened the French side’s position as group leaders, with Edinson Cavani’s second goal rounding out the win late on.But Ibrahimovic says he is still not 100 per cent, having only recently returned from seven weeks out of action with a heel injury.

“I’m not fully recovered yet because I am still missing some rhythm,” the 33-year-old told NOS. “I haven’t trained for two months. Scoring is good for my confidence and I will come back strong.”Ibrahimovic was pleased with his side’s display against one of his former clubs, which leaves them needing only a draw from their trip to Barcelona to clinch top spot in Group F.

“It’s always tough to play against Ajax,” he added. “They are very dominant and play with a lot of possession. I knew how they would play today, but eventually we won it. That’s the most important thing today.“Against Barcelona we have to play for first place, and it’s a prestigious match as well.”

The group decider takes place at Barca’s Camp Nou on December 10, with PSG facing Ligue 1 clashes against Nice, Lille and Nantes before their trip to Catalunya.

 

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Kompany: Aguero is our special one

Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany and manager Manuel Pellegrini both lavished Sergio Aguero with praise after his hat-trick secured a 3-2 victory over Bayern Munich.

The former Atletico Madrid man gave the hosts an early lead from the penalty spot after being felled by Mehdi Benatia, who was promptly shown a red card, but the German champions showed their class to take the lead just before half-time courtesy of goals from Xabi Alonso and Robert Lewandowski.

But Aguero found a late equaliser before bagging the winner in stoppage time to keep City’s Champions League hopes alive – and Kompany believes the squad are indebted to their “special” striker.

When asked where City would be without the Argentine, the centre-back told ITV: “I don’t know, but if you want to succeed at anything you need a special player in special form, otherwise you just don’t win anything.

“He’s our special player. When he’s in that form he makes things achievable that otherwise wouldn’t be.

“We showed heart, we did what we had to do and we defeated a big team today.”

Pellegrini, similarly, praised Aguero after his hat-trick heroics but was keen to emphasis what an excellent job the entire team had done in coming from behind against such a strong Bayern side.

“I think that all the big teams need big players,” the Chilean said after the game. “Sergio is a big player, he’s a top player, he’s very important.

“But I think that the whole team continued playing with trust until the end. We conceded two unbelievable goals by Bayern but the whole team continued trusting and working and playing until the end.”

Despite the late drama at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday night, City’s Champions League fate is still not in their own hands and they will crash out of the tournament if CSKA beat Bayern – even if they themselves overcome Roma.

 

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PSG will struggle against Barcelona - De Boer

Frank de Boer insists Paris Saint-Germain will run into significant trouble in their Champions League group decider against Barcelona unless they improve on their performance against Ajax.

The Dutch side’s coach was scathing of his opponents despite the French champions running out 3-1 winners at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday, claiming his team should have won the game.Davy Klaassen’s second-half goal cancelled out an Edinson Cavani opener, only for Ajax old-boy Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Cavani to add further goals late on.

But De Boer - a former Barcelona player - insisted his side should have taken more from the game against an underwhelming PSG, who need a draw in Catalunya to secure top spot.

“We could and should have won this game,” De Boer told NOS. “I was pretty angry at half-time and I told the players that. They came out and did better in the second half.“We were very well positioned and PSG didn’t have an answer. If they play like that against Barcelona, they’ll have problems.”

De Boer explained that his side were given plenty of space in which to have created more scoring chances than they managed.“It was the same story as last year against Manchester City; you have to believe in a good result,” he continued.

“From the first minute we got the space to play our own game, but you have to use that space well. We made a lot of mistakes, it was so frustrating.“I’m satisfied with the way we played from the start of the second half until our goal. We dominated and deserved an equaliser, but then we still gave it away. If ever there was an opportunity to grab the three points here, it was tonight.”

Ajax have collected only two points from their opening five fixtures in Group F, and host APOEL Nicosia on December 10 needing at least a draw to confirm their accession into the Europa League knockout stage.

 

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I'll use Messi in different positions - Luis Enrique

Champions League record-breaker Lionel Messi will be used in more than one position in Barcelona’s side as Luis Enrique looks to get the best out of his evolving side.

Messi broke the European Cup’s all-time goals record on Tuesday by netting a hat-trick in the 4-0 group win at APOEL Nicosia, taking him past the previous top mark of 71 record by former Real Madrid and Schalke star Raul.

And while the Argentine has revelled in being used as a 'false nine' in recent seasons, coach Luis Enrique insisted after the win in Cyprus that he’ll have no hesitation in switching Messi’s position for the good of the team.

“There will be games when Leo is in the centre, and others were he is out wide,” the Barcelona boss told TV3. “We are interested in getting him as many touches on the ball as possible.”

The win leaves the Catalans needing a victory in their final group match at home to Paris Saint-Germain to qualify for the last 16 as one of eight seeded teams, and Luis Enrique emphasised his desire to continuing playing football in a fluid style.
“I am very satisfied. We have played well on a very difficult pitch. We attacked tidily and pressed well.

"We have a clear idea of how we play, that is what has characterised Barca in recent years. And we will go to our graves with the same approach.”

Luis Suarez netted Barca’s first goal of the night to open his own account with the club. But despite having gone five games without scoring for his new club, the Uruguayan insisted he always felt confident a goal would come sooner rather than later.

"I did not have any anxiety,” the summer signing from Liverpool explained. “I was calm because, while I was not scoring, I was helping the team. The important thing is to obtain results.“In terms of my position, that depends on the moment.

And Suarez remains positive ahead of the final group game, despite PSG’s victory over Ajax giving the French side the bonus of only needing a draw to top the pool, citing home advantage as a key factor.“We knew that PSG were favourites against Ajax. But we will be playing PSG in Barcelona.”

 

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Klopp looking forward to Arsenal 'holiday'

Borussia Dortmund boss Jurgen Klopp is relishing the chance to enjoy a Champions League “holiday” when his side visit Arsenal on Wednesday.

BVB are in an awful run of form in the Bundesliga, having won just one of their last nine games, with their latest disappointment coming at the weekend when they squandered a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 at newly-promoted Paderborn.

Their domestic woes – they currently sit in the relegation zone - have been in stark contrast to their results in continental competition, with Dortmund topping Group D with a 100 per cent record after four games.

The 2013 finalists have already qualified for the knockout phase and a draw at the Emirates would guarantee them top spot.“We have to use the game tomorrow to gain stability for the Bundesliga,” Klopp said.

“We cannot change the Bundesliga situation tomorrow so for me it’s a bit like a holiday!“We want to go through this group as winners.”

Klopp has long been linked with a move to England – and Arsenal in particular – but played a straight bat when quizzed on the matter.“If somebody talks to me then one day we can have a conversation on it,” he added. “But at the moment I am not thinking about my future.”

Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke on Monday demanded “blood, sweat and tears” from the players in a bid to arrest their domestic slump and central defender Neven Subotic admitted an improvement was required.

The Serbian said: “The criticism from CEO Watzke has, of course, been accepted. We’ll have to prove ourselves to him and the entire BVB community.”

 

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Rojo returns to Manchester United training

Marcos Rojo returned to training for Manchester United on Tuesday and could return in early December, Goal understands.

The centre-back dislocated his shoulder during the defeat to cross-city rivals Manchester City on November 2, requiring oxygen as he was stretchered from the field.

Louis van Gaal stated that he hoped to be able to call upon his summer signing within six weeks, but Rojo is now hopeful he could be back inside a fortnight, potentially in time for the trip to high-flying Southampton on December 8.

Rojo's progress will come as a relief to Van Gaal who has struggled with the fitness of his defenders all season, with Antonio Valencia deployed at right wing-back during the recent 2-1 win over Arsenal - a game which also saw left-back Luke Shaw limp off.

Youngsters Tyler Blackett and Patrick McNair have been drafted into the first team, while Michael Carrick has also been deployed as cover following his own return from injury.

Rojo joined United from Sporting in a deal worth €20 million in August, with winger Nani moving to the Portuguese club on a season-long loan in return.

 

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Khedira and Pepe out of Real Madrid trip to Basel

Both Sami Khedira and Pepe have been left out of the Real Madrid squad to face Basel in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Neither the midfielder nor the defender have been included in the 20-man squad for the trip to face the Swiss champions, although no reason has yet been given for their absence.Asier Illarramendi has recovered from a hamstring injury to make the squad, while youngsters Alvaro Medran and Lucas Torro have also been included.

Germany international Khedira has only made one appearance in the competition this season so far and Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed that he is still not fit enough to feature.

"He wasn't able to travel because he has a problem with his hip. He wasn't comfortable and couldn't train," he told reporters."We preferred to leave him to recover for the next game. We did the same with Pepe."

Bayern Munich were forced to deny they had reached an agreement to bring Khedira back to the Bundesliga, with the former Stuttgart star behind Luka Modric, James Rodriguez and Toni Kroos in the pecking order at Santiago Bernabeu.

Raphael Varane looks set to take the place of Pepe.Madrid have already confirmed their place in the Champions League knockout phase, having won four games from four so far.

 

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Wenger hits back at Usmanov criticism

Arsene Wenger has hit back at criticism from Arsenal's second-biggest shareholder Alisher Usmanov over his handling of the club's transfer policy.

The 61-year-old feels the Gunners boss is not learning from his past mistakes and needs to strengthen the squad in "every position" despite spending over €94 million during the summer.

However, Wenger - who has already admitted he will seek cover during the January window- has questioned Usmanov's professionalism in the aftermath.

"I've shown I can take criticism in the 18 years I have been here," Wenger told reporters."Everyone has the right to an opinion. We must show solidarity. When we have something to say to each other, we should do it face to face. We don't need to go to the newspapers."

Saturday's 2-1 defeat at home to Manchester United has left Arsenal eighth in the Premier League and 15 points behind leaders Chelsea.

Arsenal's start to the league has been their worst in 32 years, while at the same stage last season, Wenger's men were 11 points better off.

 

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UEFA Champions League Group Stage Fixtures 2014.11.26

UEFA Champions League Group Stage Fixtures 2014.11.26

Group C

Zenit Vs Benfica

Bayer Levekusen Vs Monaco

Group A

Atletico Madrid Vs Olympiacos

Malmo Vs Juventus

Group B

Basel Vs Real Madrid

Ludogorets Vs Liverpool

Group D

Anderlecht Vs Galatasaray

Arsenal Vs Dortmund

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Anderlecht 2-0 Galatasaray: Mbemba books Europa League place for Belgians

Chancel Mbemba scored twice to give Anderlecht a 2-0 win over Galatasaray and secure third spot in Champions League Group D.

The Belgian champions earned a deserved victory that booked a place in the last 32 of the Europa League, with Mbemba netting in either half against a visiting side who ended the game with 10 men after Selcuk Inan's late dismissal.

Arsenal's win over group leaders Borussia Dortmund scuppered hopes of an extended run in the Champions League, but Besnik Hasi's side still have European football to look forward to.

In truth, the score should have been more emphatic, with Aleksandar Mitrovic completely missing his kick when clean through and striking both posts with a flick.
The visitors, who have now suffered six consecutive Champions League away defeats, offered little, though Burak Yilmaz did clip the crossbar in the second half.
Their fourth defeat in five group games will heap the pressure on coach Cesare Prandelli.

Anderlecht had Steven Defour available and the hero at Arsenal, Mitrovic, was rewarded with a start. Prandelli was without the suspended Blerim Dzemaili, and made six changes from the weekend defeat to Trabzonspor, including a recall for Wesley Sneijder.

Mitrovic missed a glorious chance in the 10th minute when he was in the clear 12 yards out to meet Frank Acheampong's low cross, but he fluffed his lines and failed to make contact. Sneijder fired a warning to the hosts with a superb 33rd-minute free-kick that whistled just wide, but Galatasaray had an even more miraculous escape a minute later when Defour's volley was diverted by Mitrovic and hit both posts before Fernando Muslera gathered.

Anderlecht got their rewards a minute before the break when Acheampong's inswinging cross was flicked on by Dennis Praet into the path of the unmarked Mbemba to head home from 12 yards.The visitors came out for the restart with a point to prove and Inan curled a free-kick around the wall after 53 minutes that forced Silvio Proto to punch away.

At the other end, a ricochet saw the ball find the feet of Praet who caught the shot sweetly but could only direct it straight at Muslera.

Galatasaray showed further signs of life as Yilmaz forced Proto to save with his feet, and the striker beat the offside trap 13 minutes from time but struck the bar.
Inan was sent off seven minutes from time for dissent and Anderlecht rounded off the match in style as substitute Sacha Kljestan's free-kick was parried into the path of Mbemba to tap home.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Bayer Leverkusen 0-1 Monaco: Ocampos steals win for visitors

Monaco boosted their chances of reaching the Champions League last-16 with a smash-and-grab 1-0 win at already-qualified Bayer Leverkusen.

Substitute Lucas Ocampos scored with 18 minutes to play as Leverkusen - who completely dominated the Group C contest on Wednesday - were left to rue their profligacy in front of goal.Argentine Ocampos was introduced just two minutes before his winner and his strike lifted Monaco to second in the pool.

The French side now have eight points and are just one behind Leverkusen, who knew they were through prior to kick-off following Zenit St Petersburg's 1-0 defeat of Benfica.Wendell returned from suspension for the hosts, while ex-Leverkusen forward Dimitar Berbatov - who has recently overcome a thigh injury - started for Monaco.

The Ligue 1 outfit made their intentions clear from the off, sitting deep and defending in numbers.Perhaps as a result, Leverkusen did not play with their usual energy, and they were restricted to attempts from long distance - Hakan Calhanoglu and Wendell trying their luck in the first 20 minutes.

Tricky South Korean winger Son Heung-min had a fierce effort blocked by Ricardo Carvalho as Leverkusen began to dominate, and only the woodwork prevented the BayArena crowd from celebrating in the 28th minute.Lars Bender was the unlucky player, smashing a volley against the crossbar after Monaco had failed to clear their lines.

A clever set-piece straight from the training ground then caught Monaco napping but Calhanoglu could only tamely head at goalkeeper Danijel Subasic.Calhanoglu continued to look lively after the break, but he could not match an excellent storming run with a suitable finish, shooting straight at Subasic in the 54th minute.

Leverkusen head coach Roger Schmidt introduced Josip Drmic just before the hour mark in a bid to find a goal, but the Switzerland international hurriedly shot wide when presented with a good chance.And Karim Bellarabi just missed the target from an acute angle as Leverkusen became increasingly frustrated.

Then came the sucker-punch, as Monaco took the lead through Ocampos.
Calhanoglu lost the ball on the wing and Berbatov showed great skill before sliding a pass into Nabil Dirar, who swung in an outstanding cross from the right.
Dirar's cross beat Giulio Donati and fell perfectly for Ocampos, who slid in to volley past goalkeeper Bernd Leno.

Drmic then wasted a one-on-one opportunity, shooting at Subasic, and his miss summed up Leverkusen's night - one of wasted chances and disappointment.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Malmo 0-2 Juventus: Llorente and Tevez on target as Bianconeri boost qualification hopes

Fernando Llorente and Carlos Tevez got the goals as Juventus climbed into second place in Champions League Group A with a 2-0 win at Malmo.

With Atletico Madrid winning against Olympiacos, the Italian champions moved into second place with a three-point cushion, as Fernando Llorente and Carlos Tevez delivered the decisive goals.

Malmo goalkeeper Robin Olsen ensured the two sides went into the break level with three important saves to deny Arturo Vidal and Claudio Marchisio, twice.

However, Malmo's resistance was finally broken early in the second half as Llorente netted his first goal of this season's competition with a composed finish.

Chances continued to arrive for the visitors and after Marchisio and Llorente had wasted good opportunities, Tevez secured the win with two minutes to play, before defender Erik Johansson was sent off for the hosts.

Victory means a point against Atletico in their final group match will see Juve through, no matter what Olympiacos do, while Malmo's adventure in the competition is over.

Massimiliano Allegri made two changes from Juve's Champions League win over Olympiacos on matchday four, with Simone Padoin - who was sent off against Lazio in Serie A on Saturday - and Llorente coming into the side.

After a fast start from the hosts, who were unchanged from their last European outing against Atletico, the game's first effort on goal did not arrive until the 16th minute, as Stephan Lichtsteiner raced down the right wing unopposed.

Malmo failed to deal with the full-back's cross, allowing Vidal a free shot from the edge of the penalty area that Olsen had to be alert to parry.

Juve continued to push for the opening goal and Marchisio had two chances before the break, only to be denied by Olsen on both occasions.

His first effort after 28 minutes came following a chipped pass from Andrea Pirlo, but the midfielder was unable to divert the ball past Olsen, and seven minutes later the goalkeeper made a superb reaction save to deny the 28-year-old again.

Malmo's only effort of the first half came in the closing minutes, as Emil Forsberg jinked past the Juve defence only to see his low effort beat Gianluigi Buffon but end up in the side netting.

Marchisio's personal battle with Olsen continued in the opening minute of the second half, but once again the 24-year-old got down well to keep the Italy international at bay.

Two minutes later the goal came, though, as Marchisio turned provider with a defence-splitting pass for Llorente, the Spanish forward rounding Olsen to fire home from six yards.

Having been a mere spectator for much of the second half, Buffon was finally called into action after 64 minutes when Enoch Adu found space on the edge of the penalty area, but the Juve goalkeeper had no trouble gathering a tame effort.

Llorente should have doubled his tally with 20 minutes to play as he rose to meet a Padoin cross from the left, but he headed straight at Olsen.

Juve doubled their advantage with two minutes left as Paul Pogba broke free in the Malmo half before playing in Tevez, the Argentine striker scuffing his shot past Olsen and into the goal.

To add to Malmo's frustration, they were reduced to 10 men following the goal as Johansson was sent off for a second-bookable offence in the build-up.