..::Football III::..

[Wolverine GTR]

Inzaghi: I'm no magician

Filippo Inzaghi has argued that he cannot simply make all of AC Milan's problems go away with a wave of a magic wand.

The Rossoneri have only won once in their last seven Serie A games and, as a result, are five points adrift of a Champions League spot.

Milan were defeated by unexpected top-three challengers Genoa last weekend and face a defining clash on Sunday when Rafa Benitez's Napoli visit San Siro, with the losing coach likely to come under intense pressure ahead of the winter break.

Club legend Inzaghi - who took over from Clarence Seedorf this summer - is convinced that he can restore Milan to their former glory but is nonetheless pleading for time, patience and understanding.

"I hope this is Milan's moment," the World Cup winner told media at a Milan-sponsor event. "We have alternated excellent games to others that were not as good.

"I didn't suggest I had a magic wand. There are many other teams who are also struggling, like Napoli and Inter. Everyone is having trouble.

"It takes patience, but I'm sure we will be great again. We have an essential game on Sunday and we hope to do well."

Last season, Milan finished outside the top six for the first time since the 1997-98 campaign.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Juventus missing a Messi or Ronaldo figure, says Buffon

Juventus are not in the top tier of European clubs because they lack a rampant goalscorer like Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, claims veteran goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon.

The Bianconeri have won three successive Serie A titles but they have failed to impress in Europe during this spell of domestic dominance.

Juve qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League on Tuesday courtesy a goalless stalemate at home to Atletico Madrid, meaning they will face either Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea, Monaco or Porto in the last 16.

However, despite the impressive form of Carlos Tevez this season, Buffon believes that Massimiliano Allegri's need a player capable of scoring at the same incredibly high rate if they are to establish themselves as a major European power.

"Juventus are lacking the same thing as all of the teams who don't win the Champions League: we don't have Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi," he told AS.

"They mean a lot to their teams because with the certainty of having two players that, even when things come to the worst, score at least one goal.

"You're essentially starting games off from a 1-0 score. It's a good advantage."

Juventus are top of Serie A after 14 matches and face fourth-placed Sampdoria on Sunday as they look to maintain or extend their three-point lead over second-placed Roma, who face third-placed Genoa this weekend.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Scudetto was always Roma's priority - Pjanic

Roma midfielder Miralem Pjanic has insisted that the Scudetto was always the club's priority following their midweek Champions League exit.

The Giallorossi were drawn in arguably the hardest group of the competition, alongside Bayern Munich, Manchester City and CSKA Moscow.

Despite going into the final matchday sitting second in the standings, Rudi Garcia's men were eliminated after losing 2-0 at home to Manchester City, who thus progressed at the expense of their Italian hosts.

Pjanic, though, insists that he is not perturbed by Roma's Champions League elimination, as he claims that the Serie A title race is the capital club's primary concern this season.

"The Scudetto was always our priority," the Bosnia-Herzegovina international told reporters. "It’s a shame about Wednesday but, as Rudi Garcia said, we have to forget what happened and go forward.

"Obviously we wanted to get through to the next round of the Champions League, but we didn’t manage it and now should concentrate on the Europa League.

"In any case, Serie A remains our real principle objective, as we are targeting the Scudetto. Now we have to finish well before the Christmas break, hoping to get six points so we can rest and recover well for 2015."

Roma sit second in Serie A, three points behind reigning champions Juventus ahead of Sunday's trip to third-placed Genoa.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Silva: Manchester City must avoid Barcelona, Real Madrid & Atletico in Champions League

David Silva is hoping Manchester City steer clear of La Liga sides in Monday's Champions League draw, arguing that "the later you play a Spanish team, the better".

An impressive 2-0 win at Roma on Wednesday saw the English titleholders avoid a third group-stage elimination in four years, as they finished second behind Bayern Munich in Group E, but they will now be drawn against a seeded team in the round of 16.

City have reached the knockout stages of the Champions League just once, being eliminated by Barcelona last season, and Silva is keen to avoid facing the Catalan side again or 2014 winners Real Madrid and beaten finalists Atletico Madrid.

"Well, I prefer anyone else. I don’t want any one of them. The later you play a Spanish team, the better, no?" Silva told reporters.

"They’re all that good that, if you get one, you may as well get one of the others. It’d be a difficult draw. Every team that gets through now, they’re difficult. No matter who we get, we have to be 100%, and have to get a little luck too."

Silva admits City have struggled in Europe since qualifying for the Champions League on a regular basis but is confident the squad's gradual improvement will see them win the competition at some stage in the future.

He added: "Well, we have to keep getting better. We’ve come through a very difficult group, a very difficult game and I believe in the team. The last few weeks, after the win over Bayern, I think that match gave us a lot of life.

"The team got a lot better, got a lot of confidence and we’ve got to keep getting better. Any team left can win the Champions League. That’s why they’re here. It’s a long and difficult road."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Arsenal should name stadium after Wenger - Pardew

Arsenal should honour Arsene Wenger's achievements by naming their stadium after him, according to Alan Pardew.

The vastly-experienced coach, who hosts Pardew's Newcastle United side on Saturday, is under increased scrutiny after Arsenal's worst-ever start to a Premier League season.

Banners were visible calling for Wenger's dismissal during the midweek Champions League win over Galatasaray, while the Frenchman was hassled by fans at a train station following a 3-2 defeat to Stoke City.

But Pardew, who has experienced the ire of fans for much of his Newcastle tenure, believes Wenger's work in north London should be suitably recognised.

"The stadium should be named after Arsene," Pardew told reporters.

"The job he did with that move across from Highbury, when he had all that debt and had to be very careful with his transfer budget, was incredible. It was a miracle that he kept them in the Champions League.

He added: "The incident at the train station was totally disrespectful. I think 90 per cent of Arsenal fans would have been ashamed of that and we could get the backlash of it.

"The crowd on Saturday will want to show how much they love him. After Sir Alex Ferguson he’s the best manager in Premier League history. Jose Mourinho hasn’t done enough yet.

"I think everyone at Arsenal knows Arsene's done a magnificent job – but all of us managers are on six-or seven-game trials with the media and social media. We have to accept that.

"Arsene knows instant results are massive, even for someone who has been in the position as long as he has."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Barclays Premier League 2014.12.13 Fixtures

Barclays Premier League 2014.12.13 Fixtures

Burnley Vs Southampton

Chelsea Vs Hull City

Crystal Palace Vs Stoke City

Leicester City Vs Manchester City

Sunderland Vs West Ham

WBA Vs Aston Villa

Arsenal Vs Newcastle

​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

La Liga 2014.12.13 Fixtures

La Liga 2014.12.13 Fixtures

Getafe Vs Barcelona

Valencia Vs Rayo Valecano

Cordoba Vs Levante

Malaga Vs Celta Vigo​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Serie A 2014.12.13 Fixtures

Serie A 2014.12.13 Fixtures

Palermo Vs Sassuolo

Lazio Vs Atalanta​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

FIFA Club World Cup 2014.12.13 Fixtures

FIFA Club World Cup 2014.12.13 Fixtures​

ES Setif Vs Auckland City

​

Cruz Azul Vs Western Sydney

​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Arsenal 4-1 Newcastle United: Giroud & Cazorla ease pressure on Wenger

Olivier Giroud and Santi Cazorla both scored twice as Arsenal claimed a 4-1 victory over Newcastle United to lift boss Arsene Wenger.

Frenchman Giroud this week came out in defence of his under-fire manager, who was on the receiving end of public vitriol from the club's fans in the wake of their 3-2 loss to Stoke City last weekend.

A 4-1 Champions League victory against Galatasaray in midweek went some way towards silencing the doubters, and Arsenal duly carried that momentum into Saturday's Premier League clash to record a resounding win.

Newcastle went into the match having lost just one of their last 10 in all competitions but they rarely looked like extending that run at the Emirates Stadium.

Giroud opened the scoring in the 15th minute with a precise header, before Spain midfielder Cazorla - celebrating his 30th birthday - doubled the advantage nine minutes after half-time.

Former Montpellier man Giroud effectively made the game safe four minutes later by turning home Hector Bellerin's low cross, rendering Ayoze Perez's 63rd-minute effort nothing more than a consolation.

Cazorla then added a fourth from the penalty spot with two minutes left as Arsenal moved to within two points of the top four.

Aside from the response to some Arsenal fans' public lambasting of their boss after that Stoke clash, the build-up had been dominated by Wenger's decision to deploy former Newcastle right-back Mathieu Debuchy in central defence following an injury crisis.

But it was the France international's centre-back partner, Per Mertesacker, who went close to opening the scoring in the eighth minute. His header from Cazorla's corner cannoned off the crossbar with Jak Alnwick well beaten.

Third-choice goalkeeper Alnwick was making his first start for Newcastle having come on for the injured Rob Elliot in last weekend's 2-1 win over Chelsea and, just seven minutes after Mertesacker's chance, the 21-year-old was picking the ball out of the net.

Giroud rose highest to meet Alexis Sanchez's cross and power the ball home with a well-directed header.

Arsenal were controversially denied a second by referee Lee Mason shortly afterwards. Danny Welbeck cut in from the left and cleverly lofted the ball over Alnwick, but Mason ruled that the former Manchester United striker had fouled Daryl Janmaat in the build-up.

Welbeck then volleyed wide from Alexis' superb chipped pass before appearing to handle the ball in the area at the other end.

Newcastle's claims for a penalty were dismissed, but the visitors would still have levelled in the 34th minute had it not been for a fine double save from Wojciech Szczesny to deny Yoan Gouffran and Papiss Cisse.

Mason drew the ire of Arsenal's players after 38 minutes for awarding a free-kick for Paul Dummett's foul on Alexis, even though the contact looked to have occurred inside the box.

Yet Arsenal's indignation at that decision was shortlived, Cazorla latching on to Alexis' pass to exquisitely lift the ball over a sliding Fabricio Coloccini before firing past Alnwick at his right-hand post.

Newcastle's defence, depleted by the suspension of centre-half Steven Taylor, struggled to live with the creativity and speed of the Arsenal attack, which was rewarded again when Giroud flicked in Bellerin's low ball across the face of goal.

A rout looked to be on at that point, only for Perez to glance home Colback's free-kick and give Newcastle a glimmer of hope with his fourth goal of the season after 63 minutes.

However, Arsenal were ultimately comfortable in seeing the game out, with the home fans serenading Wenger with supportive chants before Cazorla's delicately chipped spot-kick wrapped up the points after Dummett had clumsily felled Welbeck.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Sunderland 1–1 West Ham: Downing denies Black Cats

Draw specialists Sunderland halted West Ham's impressive winning run with a 1-1 stalemate at the Stadium of Light on Saturday.

One of the Premier League's most in-form teams, fourth-placed West Ham travelled to the north east on the back of three straight top-flight victories, but found themselves frustrated by a resolute Sunderland outfit.

Sunderland boss Gus Poyet spoke of his desire to turn draws into wins in the lead up to the game after a run of results that had seen his team take a share of the spoils against the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool.

And it looked as if the Wearsiders were set to claim only their third Premier League win of the campaign when Jordi Gomez gave them the lead from the penalty spot in the 22nd minute.

Yet West Ham's response was swift and Stewart Downing quickly levelled matters in the 29th minute.

From there, West Ham looked the more likely to push on and take all three points but, despite a string of second-half chances, they were left to settle for a point that may cool talk of a UEFA Champions League challenge.

Sunderland, meanwhile, have now drawn 10 of their 16 top-flight fixtures this term.

Poyet's side lived dangerously in the early going and goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon was forced into a near-post save in the sixth minute to deny Carl Jenkinson following a poor defensive header from John O'Shea.

The hosts were vulnerable at the back but went ahead in controversial fashion.

Adam Johnson went to ground in the area under minimal contact from James Tomkins and referee Phil Dowd showed little hesitation in pointing to the spot.

Gomez stepped up and tucked the ball into the bottom right corner, with Allardyce then fortunate not to be sent to the stands for venting his frustration at the decision in a heated exchange with Dowd.

Allardyce was left much happier with matters just seven minutes later, though, with Downing restoring parity by cutting on to his left foot and unleashing a low effort that deflected off a defender and beyond the outstretched hand of Pantilimon.

Aside from their spot-kick, Sunderland created little in terms of goal-scoring opportunities.

However, they should have retaken the lead on the stroke of half-time, Jozy Altidore somehow failing to connect with Sebastian Larsson's right-wing cross from three yards out with the goal at his mercy.

Sunderland made the better start to a second half disrupted by a head injury sustained by West Ham defender Winston Reid, Johnson heavily involved again as his curling free-kick was punched away by Adrian after a needless handball from Alex Song.

Pantilimon was soon forced into action at the other end to prevent to thwart Aaron Cresswell from close range, before Andy Carroll chipped narrowly over the bar after neat link-up play with Diafra Sakho.

A frantic finish saw Sunderland denied a second penalty for an apparent handball from Reid and Adrian tip a fierce effort from Connor Wickham over the bar.

But neither side were able to nick a late winner, instead taking a hard-fought point apiece.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Chelsea 2–0 Hull City: Hazard & Costa help see off 10-man Tigers

Chelsea returned to winning ways in the Premier League with a comfortable 2-0 victory over 10-man Hull City at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

Jose Mourinho's side suffered their first defeat of the season at Newcastle United last weekend, but looked back to their best early on as Eden Hazard headed them into a seventh-minute lead.

The hosts' early promise fizzled out, however, with chances few and far between for both sides for much of the encounter.

But Tom Huddlestone was given his marching orders on the hour mark for catching Filipe Luis with his studs, and Chelsea soon pounced to double their advantage – Diego Costa diverting the ball beyond goalkeeper Allan McGregor eight minutes later.

The victory sees Chelsea maintain their three-point advantage over second-placed Manchester City, while Hull - now without a win in nine -remain in the bottom three.

Chelsea reverted to a more familiar starting XI after making a number of changes for their UEFA Champions League win over Sporting Lisbon on Wednesday, and it was two of those returning stars who unlocked the visitors' defence with ease in the seventh minute.

Oscar was given time on the left wing to pick out the advancing Hazard with a precision cross, and the unchallenged Belgian rose well to power home a header.

The goal was Hazard's 65th in league football, but only his second header.

Hull – without the underperforming Hatem Ben Arfa amid reports the Frenchman's loan from Newcastle is on the verge of being terminated – were dealt a further blow when Michael Dawson was forced off through injury three minutes after Hazard's goal.

Steve Bruce's men were struggling to keep possession, and Petr Cech – making his first Premier League start of the season in place of the injured Thibaut Courtois – was a spectator for long spells, with Sone Aluko blasting over Hull's first opening after 20 minutes.

David Meyler resorted to using a hand as he looked to connect with a 25th-minute corner, earning a yellow card from referee Chris Foy.

Hull did eventually settle, limiting their hosts' attacking opportunities, but offered little going forward as Chelsea comfortably sat on their one-goal advantage.

Jake Livermore sent a low drive trickling wide of the left-hand upright as Hull looked to make a positive start to the second period, but their task got considerably tougher on the hour mark when Huddlestone was dismissed for a clumsy challenge on home left-back Filipe Luis.

James Chester's handball in the penalty area soon after went unpunished, before Chelsea made the most of their man advantage.

Hazard found Costa with a well-worked throughball, and the Spain international prodded past McGregor to put the match to bed.

Hull rarely looked like hauling themselves back into the tie in the closing 20 minutes, and the focus will now switch to ensuring their winless run does not hit double figures at home to Swansea City next weekend.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Leicester City 0-1 Manchester City: Lampard winner soured by Kompany injury blow

Manchester City were comfortable in seeing off bottom-of-the-table Leicester City 1-0 at the King Power Stadium, Frank Lampard scoring the decisive goal.

The only real setbacks for Manuel Pellegrini's side were injuries, with Edin Dzeko was injured in the warm-up and replaced by youngster Jose Angel Pozo before captain Vincent Kompany hobbled off the pitch with a hamstring injury towards the end of the second half.

But last year's champions did not need to hit their best form, with loanee Lampard finishing off the only goal of the game five minutes before half-time and the Foxes unable to offer any serious response.

It was City's seventh consecutive win across all competitions but they remain three points behind leaders Chelsea.
Leicester, who drew with Arsenal and beat Manchester United on their own ground earlier in the season, matched their opponents for some periods but a spirited late rally lacked cutting edge. Defeat saw them slip to a ninth loss in an 11-game winless run.

The hosts broke confidently in the third minute as Jamie Vardy sprinted away from Bacary Sagna and Fernando made a vital interception with Jeffrey Schlupp poised to convert.

Vardy led the charge for Nigel Pearson's team in the opening stages, running at the Manchester City defence in the 12th minute before Eliaquim Mangala did enough to force his shot behind.

The champions' anticipated lack of presence up front meant Leicester were able to confidently launch regular attacks and goalkeeper Joe Hart was grasping at thin air when Esteban Cambiasso's curling free kick flew narrowly wide.

Hamer made an excellent 32nd-minute save to keep Yaya Toure's shot out of the bottom corner but he could do nothing five minutes before the break as Lampard deftly turned a shot home from close range, following fine work by Samir Nasri on the left of the Leicester box.

Pellegrini's men absorbed further pressure after the break before Toure's pass released Nasri, whose 56th-minute cross was sent wide at the near post by Silva.

Referee Jon Moss was unmoved by Leicester penalty claims when Mangala bundled into Vardy at the near post but the earlier rhythm of Leicester's attacks was absent by the time Pearson sent on top scorer Leonardo Ulloa.

The former Brighton striker swivelled to shoot in the 80th minute, Kompany's replacement Martin Demichelis deflecting the effort wide with Hart wrong-footed, and the same player hooked a bouncing ball over in stoppage time as Manchester City hung on.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

West Brom 1-0 Aston Villa: Gardner the hero as Baggies triumph in derby

Craig Gardner's first West Brom goal condemned his 10-man former employers Aston Villa to a 1-0 Premier League loss on Saturday.

The hosts ended a run of five games without a win, breaking Villa's five-match unbeaten streak in the process, as Gardner returned to haunt the club where he made his professional debut.

Villa had hung on for 50 minutes a man down after Kieran Richardson, the only change to the visitors' starting line-up, saw red in the first half for a foul on Stephane Sessegnon.

Alan Irvine's side dominated possession but it was a scrappy goal 18 minutes from time that finally lifted the air of frustration that had started to build around The Hawthorns.

Gardner was in the right place at the right time to prod home after some last-ditch defending from Villa, who lost for the first time since November 2.

Silvestre Varela skipped away down the left and swung in a testing cross inside the opening five minutes, but Brown Ideye was crowded out at the back post as he looked to get a header on goal.

Brad Guzan was called into action three minutes later as he somewhat untidily kept out Sebastien Pocognoli's angled drive at his near post.

The visitors were reduced to 10 men in the 22nd minute when Richardson lunged for the ball and caught Sessegnon instead, leaving referee Mike Dean with no option but to send him off.

West Brom sought to capitalise on their extra man and Ideye was denied the chance to connect with Sessegnon's delivery by what appeared to be a nudge in the back from Jores Okore.

The pattern of play was set, though, and Irvine's men continued to pour forward in search of an opener as their supporters cranked up the noise levels.

The hosts did not have it all their own way, however, and Gabriel Agbonlahor saw a shot from the edge of the box deflect into the hands of Ben Foster seven minutes before the interval.

Yet West Brom should have gone in ahead, with Guzan forced into a smart stop with his foot from Sessegnon's effort after Pocognoli had wriggled free inside the box to pick him out.

Paul Lambert introduced Fabian Delph at the break for his first Villa appearance since October 4 after sustaining a shoulder injury.

The England international was called to lend his efforts to a rearguard action as the home side pressed and probed, with Varela's back-post volley forcing a brave block from Alan Hutton.

For all their possession and territory, West Brom's lack of poise in key areas - epitomised by Ideye's wayward 64th-minute volley - was all too apparent.

The lively Sessegnon was able to find the target three minutes later, but Guzan was well positioned to gather the Benin international's low strike.

Irvine turned to top scorer Saido Berahino for the final 20 minutes as Graham Dorrans made way, but it was a more unlikely source who provided the breakthrough.

Hutton had done well to deny Ideye in the six-yard box, with the lively Sessegnon then seeing his shot blocked before Gardner side-footed beyond the helpless Guzan.

Villa's emphasis had to change and Delph's free-kick almost led to a leveller, but Christian Benteke's flick drifted narrowly wide and that was as close as they came to earning a point.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Burnley 1-0 Southampton: Tadic penalty miss proves costly as Saints slide continues

Southampton made it four Premier League defeats in a row as they were beaten 1-0 at Burnley after missing a penalty.

Sean Dyche's side were the better team for large portions of the match, though might count themselves lucky that Michael Keane was not sent off for a crunching tackle that put an early end to Saints youngster Jake Hesketh's first start.

The visitors had a golden chance to get back on track on the hour when Ryan Bertrand was brought down in the area but Dusan Tadic's spot kick was saved well by Tom Heaton.

And Ashley Barnes punished them with a deflected shot that wrong-footed Fraser Forster to give the hosts the points at Turf Moor.

Southampton do maintain their fifth-place position in the table but now badly need a boost after a poor performance, while Burnley extended their unbeaten home run to four matches with just their third victory of the campaign and rose above the relegation zone.
Hesketh made his first start for Southampton, replacing Shane Long in the XI, while the visitors' only other alteration from their 2-1 defeat by Manchester United saw Toby Alderweireld return to the centre of defence in place of Maya Yoshida.

Burnley, unchanged from their loss to QPR, threatened twice in the opening three minutes through Danny Ings, who failed to make a telling connection to George Boyd's cross before flashing a 25-yard drive narrowly wide.

The home side went close to an opener again in the 26th minute when Forster reacted smartly after Nathaniel Clyne had deflected Kieran Trippier's cross goalwards under pressure from Barnes.

Hesketh, booked earlier for sliding in late on Heaton, saw his maiden start curtailed in the 32nd minute. Following a heavy collision with Keane, the 18-year-old hobbled off and was replaced by James Ward-Prowse. The substitute was making his first appearance since September, having recovered from a fractured foot, and soon tested Heaton with a low shot five minutes before the interval.

Following a quiet start to the second period, Sadio Mane sent his shot over the crossbar following some neat interplay from Southampton, who then passed up a golden opportunity to break the deadlock.

After Boyd had tripped Ryan Bertrand in the left-hand corner of the area, Tadic struck his penalty well but Heaton was equal to it to preserve his clean sheet.

Burnley responded, Ings forcing a smart low save from Forster before Barnes provided the crucial breakthrough. Ings charged down Clyne's clearance and the ball ran kindly for his strike partner, who slotted beyond Forster with the help of a deflection off Alderweireld.

Clyne almost atoned for his part in the goal when he fired a drive narrowly past Heaton's right-hand post three minutes from time but that proved to be Southampton's last meaningful effort as Burnley held on for a precious victory.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Crystal Palace 1-1 Stoke City: Crouch earns point for Potters

Crystal Palace failed to win for a fourth consecutive Premier League match as they were held 1-1 at home by Stoke City on Saturday.

Neil Warnock's men arguably edged proceedings at Selhurst Park, but a lack of cutting edge in the final third meant a below-par Stoke were seldom troubled.

Yannick Bolasie has been in tremendous form of late and the winger was once more Palace's primary attacking threat, the winger providing the assist for James McArthur to head home the opener after 11 minutes.

Stoke - who were aiming to build on last weekend's excellent 3-2 win over Arsenal - were level by the 13th minute, though, when the ball fell kindly for Peter Crouch to score from close-range.

McArthur was then denied in each half by Stoke goalkeeper Asmir Begovic as Palace failed to find a winner.

The draw leaves Palace a point above the relegation zone, while Mark Hughes' Stoke - who have still yet to record back-to-back league wins this term - climb above Everton and Aston Villa into 11th.

The hosts moved ahead from the first clear-cut opportunity of the match.

Bolasie beat Phil Bardsley with quick feet and delivered a perfectly weighted cross from the left, which McArthur met with a looping header to claim his first Palace goal.

However, the lead lasted for just two minutes as Stoke found a quick reply.

The in-form Bojan Krkic glided past Scott Dann on the right before cutting back a pass from the byline to Jonathan Walters, whose deflected shot fell fortuitously for Crouch to tap home at the back post.

Despite that setback Palace remained the more threatening side, with Bolasie a constant danger down the left.

The winger played one particularly intricate throughball that once again picked out McArthur, and Stoke goalkeeper Begovic had to react quickly to keep out his close-range shot.

On the other flank Wilfried Zaha saw tentative penalty claims waved away by referee Kevin Friend in the 35th minute when his cross hit Erik Pieters on the arm in the penalty area.

Stoke were struggling in Palace's final third and their hopes took a further blow when Bojan was replaced by Marko Arnautovic in the 55th minute - seemingly as a precaution against injury.

Begovic subsequently produced an excellent save low to his right, palming away McArthur's drilled effort from 20 yards.

The second half became something of a war of attrition with both defences on top, although Stoke did briefly threaten with a flurry of corners.

Palace were forced into a reshuffle in the 76th minute when Marouane Chamakh exited play with an apparent hamstring injury and was replaced by Dwight Gayle.

As the clock wound down Crouch had a half-chance to steal the points for Stoke after Mame Biram Diouf had nodded down a long throw-in, but his half-volley was easily collected by Julian Speroni in the Palace goal.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Getafe 0-0 Barcelona: Bore draw sees Blaugrana lose ground on Liga leaders Madrid

Barcelona lost ground on Liga leaders Real Madrid after being held to a 0-0 draw at Getafe on Saturday afternoon.

The Catalans found themselves frustrated for long periods of the game as their hosts held firm at the back and, although the visitors piled on the pressure towards the end, they failed to secure a ninth successive win in all competitions and now sit four points off top spot in the Primera Division.

Fresh from beating Paris Saint-Germain 3-1 in the Champions League in midweek, Barca dominated possession throughout at a wet and windy Coliseum Alfonso Perez and kept Getafe camped in their own half for much of the match.

Both sides had penalty shouts rejected in the first period, while Barca came closest to breaking the deadlock when Lionel Messi saw a free-kick come back off the crossbar just after the break.

Luis Enrique threw men forward in search of a winner, with Messi and Xavi again almost making the crucial breakthrough.

But Barca's best efforts ultimately went unrewarded, as they failed to find a way past a stoic Getafe defence and keeper Vicente Guaita as the hosts claimed a hard-fought point.

After a quiet start in Madrid, Barca eventually crafted their first opportunity in the 18th minute, but Messi could only poke right at Guaita after pouncing on Ivan Rakitic's blocked effort.

Getafe escaped unscathed once again shortly after, as Luis Suarez steered Xavi's wayward shot just over the crossbar from six yards out.

Both sides then had penalty shouts denied by referee Inaki Bikandi, as first Getafe's Juan Valera and then Dani Alves - making his 200th Liga appearance for Barca - appeared to handle in their respective penalty areas.

Getafe seemingly grew in confidence as the first half progressed and Claudio Bravo was forced into action to keep Barca level in the 33rd minute, tipping Angel Lafita's fierce drive around the post in acrobatic fashion.

The visitors lacked their customary cutting edge in the final third, and Rakitic's 30-yard effort in the 41st minute seemed to signal their frustration, with the attempt going comfortably wide of the left-hand post.

Barca began the second half with renewed focus and came close to going ahead in the 47th minute, but Xavi could only get a slight touch on Rakitic’s lofted pass into the area, with Guaita saving comfortably.

And they went even closer shortly after, with the crossbar saving the helpless Guaita to keep out Messi’s curling free-kick.

The Argentine troubled Guaita again from another free-kick in the 58th minute, as the goalkeeper parried the low effort away at his near post.

Getafe started to look desperate as the match entered its closing stages, but Barca were unable to open the home team up and had to settle for a disappointing draw - a result that will delight Getafe's neighbours Real.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Hertha 1-0 Borussia Dortmund: Schieber returns to haunt BVB

Julian Schieber returned to haunt Jurgen Klopp as he scored the only goal in Hertha Berlin's 1-0 win over struggling Borussia Dortmund.

The striker, who spent two years at Signal Iduna Park before joining Hertha in the close-season, danced around the Dortmund defence before slotting a powerful finish high into the net in the first half.

Although an estimated 15,000 travelling supporters urged Jurgen Klopp's side on during the second period, they struggled in their attempts to salvage a point.
Dortmund dominated after the break but found Hertha goalkeeper Thomas Kraft in fine form, the former Bayern Munich man routinely repelling the hosts.Ciro Immobile should have scored late on, but his gilt-edged opening slipped away to leave Dortmund back in the relegation play-off place as their woeful campaign domestically goes on.

Mitchell Langerak started a third consecutive game for Dortmund ahead of the out-of-sorts Roman Weidenfeller, but the Australian would have been helpless to prevent Hertha taking the lead had Schieber managed to connect with Anis Ben-Hatira's cross.Luhukay's men almost had the lead in the 26th minute when Ronny was felled just outside the box, but his resulting free-kick drifted just over the crossbar.

Matters took a turn for the worse for Dortmund soon after when the lively Mkhitaryan limped off with an apparent hamstring injury, with Jakub Blaszczykowski making his first appearance of the season in the Armenian's place.
But the Polish winger was left red-faced when, five minutes before half-time, Per Ciljan Skjelbred robbed him of possession and slipped in Schieber, who kept his nerve to move the hosts ahead.

Dortmund went close through Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as they pushed for an instant leveller, but Hertha could have easily extended their advantage had Langerak not saved well from Roy Beerens' drilled effort.

Klopp made a change at the break, introducing Hertha's top scorer of last season, Adrian Ramos, in place of the ineffectual Sebastian Kehl, though the Colombian forward was unable to settle as the home team continued to suppress the Dortmund attack.

And Hertha should have gone further ahead when Ben-Hatira broke into the box, only to fire into the side netting from close range.Kraft routinely frustrated the visitors, saving impressively from Mats Hummels, Marcel Schmelzer and Gundogan as Hertha held on.

Immobile wasted Dortmund's best chance of all in the dying embers, heading wide when totally unchallenged from eight yards, condemning Klopp's side to their ninth league defeat of the campaign and dropping them back into relegation danger.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Augsburg 0-4 Bayern Munich: Robben at the double as Bavarians run riot

An Arjen Robben double helped fire Bayern Munich to a resounding 4-0 win over Augsburg and continue their charge towards a third straight league title.

Two goals in the space of a minute just before the hour mark set the visitors on their way during a superb second-half performance, which helped stretch their lead at the top of the table to 10 points. Mehdi Benatia opened the scoring with a flicked header, before Robben curled home just a few seconds later. A powerful drive from Robert Lewandowski extended the lead after 68 minutes, before the imperious Robben rounded off another eye-catching performance by slotting home the fourth after some good work from Sebastian Rode.

The win sees the champions claim a 16th victory in their last 19 Bundesliga outings, while also bringing an emphatic end to Augsburg's four-match winning streak.
A spirited performance from the hosts was enough to stifle Bayern's attacking talents during a tightly contested first half, but Augsburg rarely looked like troubling their Bavarian neighbours.

Despite having no fresh injury concerns, Bayern boss Pep Guardiola made five changes to the side that beat CSKA Moscow in the Champions League in midweek, but his team showed no sign of surrendering any momentum during the opening stages.

A confident start saw the champions dominate possession in the first 10 minutes, while star wingers Franck Ribery and Robben both looked lively, with the latter firing wide twice in the space of two minutes.

Although the visitors looked the more likely to break the deadlock, they were given a scare after 15 minutes when a timely interception allowed Hong Jeong-ho to find Nikola Djurdjic in the area, but a poor first touch saw the chance go begging.

Augsburg, who made two changes from their win over Cologne last week, came into this game in good form and they appeared to grow in confidence as the first half progressed, although they still failed to really test Manuel Neuer.

Bayern struggled to rediscover their earlier rhythm as the game approached the half hour but still looked the more threatening, Lewandowski seeing a close-range effort well blocked by Ragnar Klavan after 27 minutes, before Robben forced a superb save from goalkeeper Alex Manninger with a powerful angled drive inside the area.

Ribery also continued to cause problems and nearly had a hand in opening goal of the game a minute after the break, bursting down the left before whipping a cross towards Lewandowski, who headed over the crossbar from 10 yards.

Xabi Alonso forced an acrobatic save from Manninger with a header of his own four minutes later, before Ribery somehow contrived to fire wide after being played in by Bastian Schweinsteiger's flick on. However, the Frenchman made amends just before the hour, curling in a superb corner that was met by the head of Benatia, who flicked the ball onto the post and into the net.

The lead was doubled a minute later, when Robben carved out some space for himself on the edge of the box before curling a wonderful dipping strike in off the woodwork. The floodgates then opened, as Lewandowski found a third 10 minutes later with a low drive from the edge of the area, before Robben capped off a brilliant performance by sealing his second of the afternoon.

Some excellent work down the left allowed Rode to find Robben in the area, allowing the Dutchman to slot home and cap off a magnificent performance.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Rodgers: I am the right man for Liverpool

Brendan Rodgers insists he remains the right man to lead Liverpool forward despite their indifferent form this season.

In the absence of last season's 52-goal strikeforce of Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge, the Merseysiders lie ninth in the Premier League after 15 games - six points off fourth-placed West Ham - and endured the ignominy of being knocked out of the Champions League by Basel on Tuesday.

Rodgers has been criticised for failing to rebuild a functioning attack and fix Liverpool's persistent defensive problems, but the Northern Irishman is still backing himself to put things right at Anfield.

"I think the message from me is clear: I don't think there would be anyone better to do the job here," he told reporters.

"Seven months ago we nearly won the title unexpectedly, I had time to work with players and we took them beyond where the club has been in a long time.

"This has been a difficult start with new players, less coaching time, young players; we are virtually starting again.

"I don't think there is anybody better equipped to deal with that having been here for the last two and a half years and experienced what this club is about and seeing what we get from the players whenever we are at our best.

"Criticism comes with the territory when you don't win games. Football is very short term. The same people who are criticising me now were maybe saying I couldn't do anything wrong six or seven months ago. That is the way football works.

“You have to accept that as a manager and fight even harder to bring success. This period has ensured I will do that for sure."