..::Football III::..

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Paris Saint-Germain 2-1 Bordeaux: Cavani and Pastore win it for hosts

Paris Saint-Germain again flattered to deceive despite beating Bordeaux 2-1 to reach the Coupe de France last-16 on Wednesday.

Questions are once again likely to be raised regarding Laurent Blanc's future at the club, with the Ligue 1 champions' performance doing little to dispel suggestions that the coach has lost the dressing room.

Blanc has found himself coming under increasing pressure after presiding over an underwhelming title defence so far, although his side were lively in the first half against his former club.

Edinson Cavani, the subject of intense transfer speculation, headed PSG into a 14th-minute lead at Parc des Princes as the hosts started confidently, with Javier Pastore doubling the lead just after the half-hour mark.But Willy Sagnol's side produced a marked improvement after the break and pulled one back through Diego Rolan, who became something of a nuisance.

Bordeaux's chances of completing the comeback were helped by Zoumana Camara's red card for a second booking in the 83rd minute, but PSG ultimately claimed victory to secure a place in the last 16.

PSG looked dangerous during the opening stages as they floated a series of teasing crosses into the penalty area, with Thiago Silva spurning the first chance of the game as he headed wide from one of them in the 12th minute.There was no such let-off for Bordeaux a minute later, though.

The visitors again failed to cope with a cross, this time courtesy of Lucas Digne, who produced a fine delivery from the left and Cavani nodded in after getting in front of Cedric Yambere.Bordeaux almost drew level in the 26th minute, but Yambere saw his effort blocked by Adrien Rabiot.

PSG soon made the most of that escape too, as they doubled their lead six minutes later - Pastore this time tapping in after goalkeeper Cedric Carrasso could only parry Ezequiel Lavezzi's effort, allowing the Argentine to follow up and finish the chance.

Blanc's side showed no signs of letting Bordeaux off the hook after getting the second, as Lavezzi twice tested Carrasso in the lead up to half-time.It did not take long for Bordeaux to get back into the game after the break, though, as Rolan pounced on a loose ball and calmly stroked into the bottom-left corner less than a minute after the restart.

The Uruguayan forward continued to pose a threat for Bordeaux and he tried his luck again six minutes later, but blazed well over from 20 yards after a penetrating move down the right.Any fluidity in PSG's game had seemingly vanished at half-time, with the home side appearing bereft of ideas in the final third.

And a rash challenge on Enzo Crivelli from Camara earned the centre-back his second yellow card of the night, but Bordeaux were unable to capitalise on their numerical advantage, as PSG held on to the slender win.

 

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Inter 2-0 Sampdoria: Shaqiri and Icardi fire Nerazzurri to victory

Xherdan Shaqiri enjoyed a dream home debut as Inter eventually wore down nine-man Sampdoria to claim a 2-0 Coppa Italia last-16 win.

The visitors were left facing an uphill battle when Nenad Krsticic was dismissed early on for a professional foul, and their task was made even harder when Pawal Wszolek was also shown red late on for a second bookable offence.

Argentina goalkeeper Sergio Romero kept them in the game until the interval with a string of superb saves, including a penalty stop from Mauro Icardi.However, Inter were always in control and after Shaqiri had given them the lead after 71 minutes following a neat one-two with Lukas Podolski, Icardi added a late second - intercepting a back-pass from Lorenzo de Silvestri to round Romero and score into an empty net.

Shaqiri was handed his first start for the hosts, while Romero was given the nod between the posts for Sampdoria as both coaches made a host of changes.

Romero had to be alert early on as Podolski looked to pounce on a sloppy back-pass, while the goalkeeper also turned away a dangerous free-kick from Shaqiri.

Sampdoria were reduced to 10 men after just 12 minutes, as Shaqiri broke down the left and tried to play in Icardi, who was clipped from behind by Krsticic with a clear run on goal.

Romero had to make a double save from Mateo Kovacic and Icardi as Inter looked to capitalise on their advantage.

The hosts were then given a great chance to go ahead when Wszolek was penalised for bringing down Dodo in the box after 36 minutes and was shown his first yellow card, but Romero again denied Icardi - this time from the spot - as he blocked a tame effort down low to his right.

More Romero heroics kept out a Podolski header as Sampdoria somehow managed to make it to half-time on level terms.

Inter soon picked up where they left off after the break, with a Kovacic shot deflected wide, while Shaqiri continued to cause problems with his pace and deft touches, although the Switzerland star was also booked for diving in the area.
The hosts' long-range shooting left a lot to be desired as Sampdoria continued to frustrate, but neat build-up play between Shaqiri and Podolski eventually unlocked their stubborn defence with 19 minutes left.After playing the ball into the former Arsenal forward, Shaqiri latched on to a return pass and fired a shot ruthlessly past the helpless Romero from close range.

Shaqiri went off to a hero's reception soon after as Inter looked content to grind out a hard-fought success, although by that stage their cause had been helped by the dismissal of Wszolek, who was shown a second yellow card for clattering Zdravko Kuzmanovic after 77 minutes.

Inter were gifted a second goal three minutes from time when Icardi pounced on a defensive lapse, nicking the ball on its way back to the goalkeeper before slotting home.

 

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Shaqiri wada patan aran​

 

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'No chance' of Cuadrado joining Chelsea, insists Montella

Fiorentina coach Vincenzo Montella is adamant that there is "no chance" of Juan Cuadrado joining Chelsea.

The Colombia winger has been linked with a move to the Premier League title-chasers in the January transfer window and reports claimed that he attended their League Cup draw with Liverpool at Anfield on Tuesday as a guest of the Blues' kit manufacturer.

Jose Mourinho professed to know nothing of such a visit, however, from the 26-year-old, who only completed a switch to full ownership by the Tuscan club in 2014.

Cuadrado underlined his value to Fiorentina with a penalty in the 3-1 Coppa Italia victory over Atalanta on Wednesday, sending his side into the quarter-finals in a game which also saw Mario Gomez score twice to break his goal drought.

And Montella told the press afterwards: "To date, there is no chance that Cuadrado leaves Fiorentina.

"He knows that some things are exaggerated."

 

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Barca barely moan at referees, says Luis Enrique

Luis Enrique insists his Barcelona players "hardly protest at all" to referees during matches.

Barca have previously come under criticism for the way their players try to influence match officials by surrounding them and arguing over decisions, with Javier Mascherano picking up a booking for protesting a decision during Wednesday's 1-0 Copa del Rey win over Atletico Madrid.

However, the coach insists his side harass referees much less than most other teams.

“In terms of the protests of my players to the referee, if I look at other teams, my players hardly protest at all," he told reporters after seeing his side beat Atletico Madrid 1-0 in the first leg of their Copa del Rey quarter final tie.

"They are very well educated. We could take a look at that aspect but we are by no means the worst. The referees understand that sometimes it is hard to accept an official’s decision in the heat of the moment."

Lionel Messi fired his side into the lead late in the game, netting the rebound from a penalty he had missed, to give the Blaugrana the win. However, Luis Enrique believes there is still much work to do for them to get to the semi-final, insisting they are only half way there.

"I see the result as very positive. We knew we had to be very compact and I didn’t anticipate a different match because Atletico are a team that defend really well, are very aggressive, very well prepared and that attack you well on dead balls.

"But with very good circulation of the ball and a very good defensive game, we managed to win.

"I’m very happy with the result, which is fair and allows us to prepare the return with optimism, in the same way we have this one and looking for the victory, although I would like to have won 5-0! The return leg will be very stimulating and we will go there with the idea of creating many chances and not letting our rival create many.

"Knowing the rival and their coach and how they have done in the past few seasons, I still see it at 50 per cent, although whatever the result tonight our aim would have been to go to the Calderon and win the game – even though now a draw would be good enough."

The 44-year-old also admitted that he has not decided on a dedicated starting XI as of yet.

"I don’t have a first-choice XI or 10. I have a squad that I like to manage. My idea is to have as many players at my disposition as possible – nothing more, nothing less."

 

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We can come back against Barca - Simeone

Diego Simeone believes Atletico Madrid can recover from Wednesday's 1-0 defeat to Barcelona when the two sides meet in the second leg of their Copa del Rey tie.

Lionel Messi scored the rebound from his own missed penalty late in the game to give his side the slender lead in Camp Nou and the advantage heading into the second leg of the quarter final tie.

And while Simeone believes his side should have created more in the game, he believes they can come back from the defeat and progress beyond the Catalan giants.

"It was not like in the previous game against them," he told reporters. "We defended better in this match but had fewer chances to attack. The match was controlled by Barca's possession."I like winning 4-0 but there's a team on the other side. Barca have improved a lot in recent games, especially in terms of pressing in the opposition half.

"I see even chances against a team playing well. The tie is still open."The deadlock was broken through the Argentine after Sergio Busquets went down under a soft challenge, Simeone, though, was not willing to criticise the match officials.

"The truth is that we try not to think about referees."I think in terms of chances on goal there weren't many throughout the game. The second match won't be easy either."

 

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Inter progress delights Mancini

Roberto Mancini was full of praise for his Inter side after they beat Sampdoria 2-0 in the Coppa Italia on Wednesday.

Goals from Xherdan Shaqiri and Mauro Icardi were enough to send the Nerazzurri into the quarter-finals of the competition as they saw off Sinisa Mihajlovic's men.

And Mancini was delighted with the way his side played throughout the clash, but feels they still have a lot of progress to make.

"I'm happy with the way the team played. I want to see them play well," he told reporters.

"Shaqiri's class and personality was clear for all to see tonight. I'm happy that he and Podolski had such a good game.

"I think we can do even better though. Once the team is more compact they'll be able to play with even more quality and will be able to play with four attacking players.

"First of all, we need to improve our ball circulation and play high up the pitch with confidence. We also have to improve the defensive side of our game.

"Once we do that better we'll be able to push up high and risk the odd counter-attack, which is what we should have done against Empoli on Saturday."

 

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Official: Real Madrid confirm Odegaard deal

Real Madrid have confirmed the signing of Norwegian sensation Martin Odegaard.

The 16-year-old has been highly coveted in recent months as he toured Europe to look for the ideal club to continue his development.

Madrid, Bayern Munich and Ajax were considered the favourites to sign him with speculation building in the last week that the teenager was close to a move to the Santiago Bernabeu.

And now the European champions have confirmed that they have agreed a fee with Stromsgodset and will present the player to the media on Thursday afternoon.

"Real Madrid C. F. and Stromsgodset Fotball have reached an agreement for the transfer of Martin Odegaard," a statement read.

"After undergoing a medical exam, the player will hold a press conference with the director of Institutional Relations, Emilio Butragueno, on 22 January at 1:30pm CET."

 

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Manchester City 2-0 Hamburg: Jovetic and Dzeko strike in friendly victory

Goals from Stevan Jovetic and Edin Dzeko sealed a comfortable win for Manchester City over Hamburg in Abu Dhabi.

After struggling to break down their German opponents in the first half, City took the lead five minutes after the break as Jovetic found the net from close range.

And Dzeko sealed the win late on with a neat finish after a deep cross from James Milner.

City handed a start to teenager Brandon Barker on the left-hand side while only Milner and Fernando kept their places from the team at lost to Arsenal on Sunday.

And Manuel Pellegrini's side almost broke the deadlock inside two minutes as Jovetic shot straight at Jaroslav Drobny after good work by Aleksandar Kolarov on the left-hand side.

The Premier League champions maintained control of the game for much of the opening 20 minutes, though Willy Caballero twice had to show good hands to hold Rafael van der Vaart efforts from distance.

Frank Lampard - who had received treatment in the warm-up - was forced off midway through the first period, though Scott Sinclair's introduction could not spark City into producing any meaningful shots on goal.

The game to life shortly before half-time, with Bacary Sagna seeing a shot deflected narrowly off-target before Jovetic curled an effort just wide of the upright from the resulting corner.

Hamburg went straight down the other end, and after having a goal ruled out for offside, Caballero had to be at full stretch to tip Innocent Emeghara's shot behind.

City introduced youngsters Thierry Ambrose and George Evans at the break, and the latter had an almost immediate impact as his diagonal ball over the top was chested down and finished by Jovetic.

The goal seemed to settle the Blues, and they remained fairly comfortable for the remainder of the half, though Sergio Aguero was still thrown on for the final 25 minutes.

Pellegrini's side finally made the game safe when Dzeko brought Milner's low cross down in the box before cutting onto his left foot and firing into the bottom corner.

Artjoms Rudnev hit the crossbar late on for the Bundesliga outfit, but they could not find a way past Caballero.

 

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Ronaldo: Ibrahimovic is the world's best striker

Brazil legend Ronaldo has labelled Paris Saint-Germain talisman Zlatan Ibrahimovic as the best striker in the world in 2015.

The Swede, 33, has played for some of the greatest clubs in the world, including Juventus, Barcelona, Inter, Ajax and AC Milan and is currently in his third PSG season having finished as Ligue 1's top goalscorer in both of his previous campaigns.

Although he missed out on featuring in the 2014 World Cup due to Sweden's failure to qualify for the finals, Ibrahimovic is usually in the frame whenever there are discussions about who the most dangerous forward on the planet is.

And Ronaldo - who himself was regarded as without equal during his prime - suggested that Ibrahimovic is unrivalled when it comes to out-and-out strikers right now.

"I think the best striker is Ibrahimovic," Ronaldo told Sports Illustrated. "He wears No.10, but he plays like a No.9.

"Last year I went to Paris a couple of times and watched matches in which he played. His movement [is amazing]! He’s very, very good - the best at the moment."

Ronaldo also named Zinedine Zidane - who broke Brazil hearts in 1998 at the World Cup with France and was later the striker's team-mate at Real Madrid - as the greatest player he ever came up against during his playing days.

"Zinedine Zidane was the best I played against," he added. "I had the pleasure to train with him. People saw a lot of things in matches, but I saw him every day in training, in games. Every time it was amazing to watch him."

Ronaldo claims that "very good friend" Paolo Maldini was the toughest defender he ever tussled with, while suggesting Gianluigi Buffon is "easily the most difficult goalkeeper I played against".

The ex-Barca and Inter striker even cheekily revealed how close he was to his favourite-ever colleague Roberto Carlos.

"My best team-mate was Roberto Carlos," Ronaldo continued. "I slept more in the same room with Roberto Carlos in training camps than with all the women I’ve been with in my life!

"I spent all my life with Roberto Carlos for 20 years - with the national team, with Real Madrid, with Corinthians."

 

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Klopp: I don't care about Champions League

Jurgen Klopp says he is not interested in the Champions League, insisting Borussia Dortmund's main aim is to avoid relegation from the Bundesliga this season.

At the halfway mark, Dortmund sit joint bottom of the league, having taken 15 points from 17 games and sit an incredible 30 behind Bayern Munich.

Despite their awful domestic form, BVB strolled through to the second round of the Champions League, in which they will face Juventus.

However, Klopp insists he is not paying attention to Europe's most prestigious competition and is only targeting safety in the league.

"I'm not at all interested in the Champions League," Klopp told Bild."As things stand right now, I would have no problem just staying up and then being able to train a lot next season.

"If there are any of my players who would rather move somewhere else just because they will play one year without the Champions League, then clearly I've judged them completely wrong.

"We've got 17 games and we will do it. That's a hell of a lot."We've now been able to work on so many things that we had no time to go over even once in the summer.

"We weren't able to work tactically one single time because the lads first had to get into decent shape."

 

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Dublin: Cambridge capable of beating Man Utd

Cambridge United legend Dion Dublin is not ruling out the possibility of a major upset when Manchester United head to the Abbey Stadium in the FA Cup.

Louis van Gaal's side are red-hot favourites to progress to the fifth round, but former England striker Dublin – who left Cambridge to move to Old Trafford in 1992 – believes a surprise could be on the cards.

"I think Manchester United should win the tie with no problem, but if Cambridge give everything they've got and have 11 players playing out of their skin then there may be a surprise," he said ahead of Friday's match.

Dublin helped Cambridge – now in League Two – to back-to-back FA Cup quarter-finals during a prolific spell at the club in which he also scored the winning goal in the first Wembley play-off final.

His time at the Abbey provided a platform for a playing career that went on to span 20 years and included four international caps, and the 45-year-old remains grateful to the club that gave him his professional breakthrough after being released by Norwich City as a teenager.

"It was possibly the best learning curve I could have had in terms of leaning how you conduct yourself on and off the field, the amount of work that we did, the amount of miles that we ran," he added, referring to the strict training methods of his then manager John Beck.

"It was very old school. I went from a young boy not knowing my career, to a man able to stand on his own two feet.

"Getting my nose broken at least a couple of times off the ball taught me how to look after myself, too. I arrived as one person and left as another person."

Cambridge, who won promotion back to the Football League last season after a nine-year absence, held Manchester United to a 1-1 draw when the sides last met in a League Cup tie in October 1991.

Friday's visitors, who overcame third-tier Yeovil Town in the last round, are seeking to end an 11-year wait to lift the FA Cup.

 

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Official: Niang joins Genoa on loan

AC Milan youngster M'Baye Niang has joined Genoa on loan for the remainder of the season, the club have confirmed.

The Frenchman made inroads into the Rossoneri first team two seasons ago but has since struggled to make an impression at San Siro.

A loan spell at Montpellier last term yielded four goals and he will now get some valuable playing time in Serie A at the Luigi Ferraris.

"Genoa announces that it has signed a deal with AC Milan for the temporary acquisition of the player M'Baye Niang for the remainder of the current season," a club statement read.

Niang has made five appearances for Milan in Serie A this season but has not found the net in any of them.

Genoa currently sit seventh in Serie A on 28 points, two ahead of Milan.

 

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Pochettino: Second leg tough for Tottenham after narrow win

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino says his side face a tricky trip to Sheffield United with just a 1-0 lead from the first leg of their League Cup semi-final.

The League One club more than held their own for much of the game at White Hart Lane on Wednesday until Andros Townsend edged the hosts ahead with a 74th-minute penalty.

The winger stepped up after referee Neil Swarbrick had penalised Jay McEveley for a handball but Pochettino knows that the tie is far from over.

"It was a tough game," the Tottenham boss told reporters. "Now we go to Sheffield with a victory but it will be tough up there.

"The first half was difficult to create chances. It was a good test.

"It's important to understand what we're up against. We need to go to Sheffield to win."

A full house at Bramall Lane for the return fixture on January 28 will certainly provide Spurs with plenty about which to think but Ryan Mason believes that the north Londoners have the class to cope with anything thrown at them.

The young midfielder remarked: "It was a difficult game. They came with a gameplan and did well. We're happy to go there with a lead.

"We're confident going into the second leg. We kept a clean sheet tonight and we'll go there to win."

 

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Deloitte Money League: Manchester United second only to Real Madrid ​

Manchester United may have had their worst season for two decades last year but they have reclaimed second spot in the list of the world’s richest football clubs.​

Only European champions Real Madrid stand ahead in terms of income, while Barcelona by contrast are struggling to keep pace financially with their Spanish rivals, United and Bayern Munich.​

The Football Money League compiled by Deloitte sees Real established at the top of the tree for the 10th year in succession, with revenues of £459m, while United are on £433m, Bayern £407m and Barcelona £405m.Manchester City remain in sixth position behind Paris St Germain, with Chelsea and Arsenal sustaining their seventh and eighth places and Liverpool up to ninth.​

A Deloitte spokesman said: "A season that saw Manchester United finish in their lowest league position since the start of the Premier League era actually saw the Red Devils reclaim second spot in the money league."Their commercial growth... continues to yield record-breaking deals. If the club can regain their Champions League status for the 2015/16 season, there is a strong possibility they will also regain top spot in our money league for that season."​

Indeed, almost half of the top 30 richest clubs are now made up of Premier League sides and that figure is likely to increase; Newcastle United and Everton have appeared at the top of the list for the first time, in 19th and 20th position respectively The spokesman added: "It is with great anticipation that we wait to see what the new round of Premier League broadcast deals, expected to be agreed in 2015, will yield. With the market expectation that another significant increase will occur, it is likely that the money league will have a strongly English appearance in the coming years."​

The Deloitte report underscores the changing landscape in relation to the European powerhouses, highlighted by the decline of Italian clubs in terms of finances; in 2001 Italy had five clubs in the top 10 and only Juventus, who significantly have built a new stadium, remain there in 10th position.​

It also shows the continuing value to the Spanish clubs to be able to negotiate their own broadcast rights - Real earned more than twice the sum of Atletico Madrid in broadcast income despite their city rivals winning the league and reaching the Champions League final.​

 

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Manchester United 2nd Place

Congratulations Manchester United!​

 

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Spanish Copa Del Rey Fixture 2015.01.22

Spanish Copa Del Rey Fixture 2015.01.22

Espanyol Vs Sevilla​

 

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Coppa Italia Fixture 2015.01.22

Coppa Italia Fixture 2015.01.22

Napoli Vs Udinese​

 

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Roma close in on Salah signing

Officials from Roma have flown to London to complete a deal to bring Chelsea attacker Mohamed Salah to the Serie A outfit.

The Egypt international joined the Blues from Basel €13 million last January, but has struggled for playing time this season, appearing for just 30 minutes in the Premier League so far this term.

Jose Mourinho's side have been looking to offload the midfielder during the January transfer window and the Stadio Olimpco now looks his most likely destination.

The Italian side had hoped to pay €500,000 to loan the player for the next 18 months before completing a permanent move for €14m in the summer of 2016.

But the Premier League leaders are looking to recoup as much of the money they spent on the player 12 months ago, and are holding out for a loan fee €1.5m, which would lead to €16m transfer at the end of next season.

Salah has been offered to Atletico Madrid and Monaco already this window while Chelsea were hopeful of offering him in part-exchange for Fiorentina's Juan Cuadrado so as to bring down the Colombia international's release clause of €35m.

But the player himself has rejected all of those proposed moves and now has his heart set on Rome as long as the loan fee can be agreed on when Salah and his agent meet with officials from both clubs on Thursday.

 

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Van Gaal: Shaw and Van Persie fit to face Cambridge United

Louis van Gaal has revealed Robin van Persie and Luke Shaw are fit for Manchester United's FA Cup clash against Cambridge United.

Both players missed the victory over QPR on Saturday having picked up knocks against Southampton the previous week, but could return to the starting XI at the Abbey Stadium.

Van Gaal does not have a fully-fit squad, however, with Jonny Evans and Chris Smalling joining Ashley Young in the treatment room ahead of Friday's trip to the League Two outfit.

"We have to wait until training but Ashley Young, Chris Smalling and Jonny Evans are out for sure," he told MUTV.

"Robin van Persie is available, Luke Shaw is also available."

Victor Valdes has been tipped to make his debut for the Red Devils against Richard Money's side after completing his move to the Old Trafford outfit earlier this month.

The former Barcelona goalkeeper has been on the bench for both league matches since his arrival, and Van Gaal refused to give away whether he would replace David de Gea for the fourth round tie.

"I find it unbelievable how the media can write that Valdes will start. I don't want to say anthing about my line-up until three quarters of an hour before the game."

United will kick-off the match sitting 76 places above their hosts in the Football League pyramid and are heavy favourites to progress to the last-16 of the competition.

But former Netherlands coach Van Gaal is not taking Cambridge lightly given their recent run of three successive victories.

"I have seen the capacity of the stadium – nearly 10,000 fans can watch the game. The crowd is good and I hope we can beat them.

"They are in good shape, though, as they have won their last three matches. They have also bought new players, so we have to be alert to play against such teams."