..::Football III::..

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Thiago Silva: I am glad Lavezzi stayed

Paris Saint-Germain defender Thiago Silva is relieved Ezequiel Lavezzi ended up staying with the club during the January transfer window.

The former Napoli forward scored an excellent goal to help his side to a 1-0 home win over Rennes on Friday that moves Laurent Blanc's men to within one point of leaders Lyon, having played a game more.

Lavezzi had been heavily linked with a January exit after returning to the club four days late following the winter break, which resulted in the attacker and Edinson Cavani – who committed the same offence – being suspended for two matches by Blanc.

Thiago Silva, though, was relieved to see the Argentina international stay in Paris and also paid tribute to playmaker Javier Pastore's display against Rennes.

"I am glad he stayed," the Brazilian told L'Equipe when asked about Lavezzi.

"He offers a lot to the dressing room, for sure, but above all else he is a true fighter – he is not Argentine for nothing!

"Pastore has so many qualities. Every pass he makes puts our forwards into position and we create a lot of opportunities thanks to him."

Thiago Silva admits PSG are still not firing on all cylinders despite having won five successive matches, but says the fact they remain close to the top of the Ligue 1 table is most important at this stage of the campaign.

He continued: "We won but without playing well. We climb up the standings, which is good, as it is imperative we stay within reach of Lyon and do not let them go.

"They now have a difficult trip to Monaco and we will all be for ASM. We are doing our work, winning our matches and then we encourage other teams against our rivals!"

Thiago Silva says he feels his own form is back to a strong level having suffered with a thigh problem for much of the season.

"I feel like I have come back well," he said. "After my injury it was very complicated and psychologically I was not good - even simple tasks were hard.

"Now I am more confident and have played in a run of matches. All this helps me to play better."

 

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Bayern can't play like that again - Boateng

Bayern Munich defender Jerome Boateng hopes the Bundesliga champions' shock 4-1 loss at Wolfsburg can act as a wake-up call.

Heading into their first match following the mid-season break, Pep Guardiola's defending champions were unbeaten in the league and had only conceded four goals.

The tally was ultimately doubled on a remarkable evening at the Volkswagen Arena as Bas Dost and Kevin de Bruyne scored two goals apiece and second-placed Wolfsburg closed the gap at the summit to eight points.

Juan Bernat netted when Bayern were 3-0 down but his strike could not prompt a comeback as Boateng and his defensive colleagues continued to struggle under a relentless attacking display from Dieter Hecking's team.

"It's simple – we played really badly," Boateng told reporters, as quoted on his club's official website.

"It might be good that it's happened to us today because it's a wake-up call. We can't afford another performance like that.

"We weren't aggressive and gave away possession far too easily. We have to take a good, long look at ourselves.

"We all know we'll need a vast improvement against Schalke if we're to make amends for this."

Dost opened the scoring on the counterattack after four minutes and both De Bruyne's goals came as direct passes from Maximilian Arnold easily unpicked Bayern's backline.

"It wasn't our day," said captain Bastian Schweinsteiger. "We often lost our shape when we attacked and they picked us apart relatively easily on the break.

"That shouldn't be happening. We need to work out what went wrong and do better in our next match."

 

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Redknapp brands Fer speculation 'absolute rubbish'

QPR manager Harry Redknapp has branded reports linking Leroy Fer with a potential exit as "absolute rubbish".

The Netherlands international, who joined QPR from Norwich City during the close-season, has reportedly caught the eye of Serie A outfit Napoli.

However, when quizzed on speculation Fer would be available at the right price, Redknapp said: "Absolute rubbish, absolute nonsense."

Junior Hoilett and Matt Phillips have also been linked with a departure, but Redknapp insists there are currently no plans for either to leave the club.

"I think there was a German club interested in Junior, but that's the only interest we've had in anybody," he continued.

"We've still got a lot of faith in Matty Phillips.

"We're not overloaded with players, so I can't be letting them two go without getting replacements in. We're looking to strengthen rather than weaken."

QPR have lost all 10 of their away fixtures in the Premier League this term and Redknapp, who also revealed he had received no offers for Adel Taarabt or Shaun Wright-Phillips, is keen to reverse that dismal run at Stoke City on Saturday.

"We go away from home, we know what to expect," he added. "They're very passionate fans there [at Stoke] and it's a difficult place to go, but we've got to go away from home and pick up some points.

"We've got to start sooner or later."

 

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Cavani performance was not good enough - Blanc

Laurent Blanc admits he had words with Edinson Cavani after his "insufficient" showing in Paris Saint-Germain's 1-0 win over Rennes.

Ezequiel Lavezzi scored the only goal of the game on Friday as PSG failed to convert a number of meaningful chances to put the game beyond doubt, with Cavani labouring in front of goal alongside Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Cavani's future has been in doubt of late after he was suspended by the club for arriving back late to training from PSG's winter break, while Blanc stressed before the match the need for the former Napoli star to improve his understanding with Ibrahimovic.

And the former defender concedes the duo did not perform well together on the night at Parc des Princes, prompting him to haul off the Uruguayan in favour of Lucas Moura mid-way through the second half.

"Yes, I had an exchange with Cavani. I had the same with Adrien Rabiot," he told a press conference.

"It is a little personal, but I told him I found what he did to be insufficient and that is why I made the decision to take him off.

"Today their relationship [Cavani and Ibrahimovic] was not good. This is one of the reasons I took Edi off. I thought I had an advantage on the bench with Lucas and that he would have space."

Blanc accepts that PSG fans are entitled to a more ruthless standard of play from the French champions but insists their title defence remains on track.

"We would have liked a much bigger victory. Offensively, we expect much more," he added.

"The fans think we will crush opponents and that each game will be like that. We would also like this type of game, but it's not the case.

"Collectively and individually, it was not as good as Saint-Etienne. But given the timing, we can't all play with the same team.

"They say PSG are not convincing but we are one point behind Lyon before they go to Monaco. We are still there, even without playing well."

 

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Cavani ge performance nam godak adu wela thamaiNapoli inna kale meeta wada hodata play kala​

 

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Barclays Premier League 2015.01.31 Fixtures

Barclays Premier League 2015.01.31 Fixtures

Hull City Vs Newcastle United

Crystal Palace Vs Everton

Liverpool Vs West Ham

Manchester United Vs Leicester

Stoke City Vs QPR

Sunderland Vs Burnley

WBA Vs Tottenham

Chelsea Vs Manchester City

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Chelsea Vs Manchester City pattama gemak yai​

 

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La Liga 2015.01.31 Fixtures

La Liga 2015.01.31 Fixtures

Real Madrid Vs Real Sociedad

Eibar Vs Atletico Madrid

Granada Vs Elche

Celta Vigo Vs Cordoba​

 

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Serie A 2015.01.31 Fixtures

Serie A 2015.01.31 Fixtures

Genoa Vs Fiorentina

Roma Vs Empoli​

 

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AFC Asian Cup Final 2015.01.31

AFC Asian Cup Final 2015.01.31

South Korea Vs Australia

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Australia Asian Cup 1ka win karai mata hithenne​

 

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Wolfsburg 4-1 Bayern Munich: De Bruyne and Dost leave champions reeling

 

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South Korea 1-2 Australia: Hosts win Asian Cup in extra-time

Host nation Australia won their maiden Asian Cup title with a gripping 2-1 extra-time win over South Korea on Saturday.

In an epic decider, substitute James Troisi struck a truly golden-goal in the 105th minute, blasting home from close range after Kim Jin-hyeon spilled Tomi Juric’s cross into his path.

Australia looked like they would win the match in normal time, leading right until the death through midfielder Massimo Luongo’s first-half scorcher.

But deep in stoppage-time at the end of the match, Son Heung-min stunned Ange Postecoglou’s side with a powerful finish to save his team and send the match to extra-time.

Somehow the Aussies regrouped and found some more energy with the two substitutes combining for a superb winner.

Juric looked well-shackled by two defenders on the by-line but flicked the ball between the legs of Kim Jin-su before regaining possession and crossing, with Troisi in the right spot to smash it in and secure a historic victory.

Beaten finalists four years ago the Socceroos weren’t to be denied this time, reversing the defeat to Korea from the group stage a fortnight ago as well as vindicating Postecoglou’s regeneration of the squad since he took over 14 months ago.

For the visitors – who hadn’t conceded a goal in the tournament until Luongo struck – their 55-year wait for an Asian Cup crown will go on for another four years at least.

A sell-out crowd of almost 77,000 made for a cracking atmosphere in Stadium Australia, giving all the ingredients for what was to be a special night.

It was the hosts who fired the first warning shot through Mile Jedinak, his powerful free kick from 25-metres out dipping just over Jin Hyeon’s crossbar.

With so much at stake it was no surprise that there was plenty of feeling in the opening exchanges as both sides were guilty of some crunching challenges.

The match then sprung to life midway through the first half with chances at either end in the space of a minute. First it was the Koreans who were inches away from taking the lead, Kwak Taehwi heading wide from close range from a pinpoint Ki Sung-yueng free kick.

Before the visitors had time to rue that miss they were almost behind themselves. Robbie Kruse got free down the right and put in an early cross with Tim Cahill getting in front of his marker and then firing off a shot which Jin Hyeon did well to parry wide.

The Koreans then enjoyed a dominant spell with star winger Son at the centre of most of their dangerous moments.

The Bayer Leverkusen man saw a superb volley float just wide of Mat Ryan’s post eight minutes before the break and a minute later it was only a sliding Luongo challenge that deflected his goal-bound shot over the bar.

Just when it seemed like the Socceroos would be happy to hold on until half-time, their new star delivered a gem. Receiving the ball in traffic 30-metres from goal, Luongo turned with the ball, took one step forward then unleashed a thunderous shot into the bottom corner.

Chasing the game it was no surprise the Koreans lifted the tempo on the resumption. They were getting plenty of joy down the flanks but Australia were doing well to repel the danger.

The Socceroos weren’t about to park the bus and Mathew Leckie forced a smart save on the hour mark before Trent Sainsbury headed just wide from the ensuing corner.

As fatigue started to set in Postecoglou called on the fresh legs of Tomi Juric and James Troisi for Cahill and Kruse.

The Koreans continued to apply the pressure without seriously threatening Ryan’s goal but just when it looked like the Socceroos would hold on, Son pounced in stoppage-time.

The Australian defence failed to clear a bouncing ball with Ki sliding in Son who produced a classy finish past Ryan to send the final into extra-time.

It was their substitutes Juric and Troisi combined to get the Socceroos back in front and this time there would be no late fight-back from Korea.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Congratulations Asian Champions!

Australia!​

 

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Van Gaal: De Gea departure to Madrid is possible

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has admitted that David de Gea could join Real Madrid, but insists he intends to keep the goalkeeper at Old Trafford.

De Gea has enjoyed a fine season for the Red Devils so far, and has attracted serious interest from the Champions League winners.

The Spaniard's influential agent, Jorge Mendes, recently hinted that a summer move could be on the cards by saying "things change every five minutes".

And when asked if Madrid could make their move, Van Gaal said: "In football, everything is possible. We want to keep him."

The Dutchman also responded to questions about his team's recent performances after they managed just three goals in their last four Premier League matches, and he admits fans are not being entertained.

“The last matches, we failed to do that because it’s the goals that are the most important thing and the fans are enjoying the goals the most," he added. "So, when we are not scoring too much, you cannot enjoy the game.

"We have a lot of players who are attractive to see, so I don’t think we are not attractive enough, but we have to score more goals, especially when you see the last games.

"We have to improve in our attacking organisation and finishing the chances is always the most important thing because it is only goals that count."

 

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Van Gaal: De Gea departure to Madrid is possible

De Gea wa yawagatthama hari nekaranna one aluth contract 1kak offer karana 1ka...karume kiyanne thiyaganna hadanawa wenuwata yana 1kak gana karanawa danOkkotama wada hodai LVG giyanam​

 

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Gibbs: Arsenal gunning for glory this season

Arsenal full-back Kieran Gibbs is adamant there is still plenty to play for as the in-form Gunners seek to end the season in victorious fashion.

Arsene Wenger's Arsenal sit just a point outside of the Champions League qualification places in fifth position after recovering from a slow start to the 2014-15 Premier League season.

Arsenal have only lost one of seven league matches, a run that includes their 2-0 win at second-placed Manchester City a fortnight ago.

The London outfit also remain in contention for the FA Cup (fifth round) and the Champions League (round of 16).

And Gibbs, who is enjoying his best season so far, is refusing to give up hope of lifting silverware in 2015, even in the Premier League despite being 13 points behind Chelsea.

"If you look at last year, we were top of the league for the majority of the season but towards the end was where we faded," Gibbs told Daily Mirror ahead of Sunday's hosting of Aston Villa.

"Now we have got a chance to hit form and we'll see where we end up. I just look at the next game, against Aston Villa. You can't set yourself any limits. We have still got loads to play for.

"It's all there in front of everyone to see what there is to play for. We want to embrace it and take control of it."

Gibbs added: “I think Manchester City was quite a turning point, sometimes it takes a game to change the dynamics.

"Not just in the team but also in the league. It was like an awareness that we have a big say in the league.

"I think we already knew that but sometimes one game can just change that mentality."

 

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'Neymar not cornered by Simeone and Gabi'

Atletico Madrid have dismissed claims that coach Diego Simeone insulted referee Jesus Gil Manzano and intimidated Neymar during Wednesday's controversial Copa del Rey clash with Barcelona at the Vicente Calderon.

It has been reported that the Argentine swore and made an offensive gesture during a heated confrontation with the match official during the half-time break at the Vicente Calderon.

Simeone was also accused of cornering double goalscorer Neymar in conjunction with club captain Gabi, who was dismissed by referee Gil Manzano for his actions during the interval.

Rojiblancos boss Simeone described the claims as "big lies" during a press conference on Friday but now Atletico have got involved, issuing a club statement not only voicing their support for their under-fire coach but also midfielder Gabi.

"There have been various reports in various media relating to our coach, Diego Pablo Simeone, that are totally false," the Spanish champions claimed.

"Our coach and our captain Gabi have been accused of having cornered and intimidated a Barcelona player in the dressing room of the Vicente Calderon. This information has nothing to do with reality and cannot be confused with any similar act that could have happened.

"It is completely false and from the club will not allow the reputation of our coach and our captain to be stained by such falsehoods.

"In addition, there have also been some images which have created the misunderstanding that Diego Simeone made a dismissive gesture towards the referee.

"Our coach called Jesus Gil Manzano on his failure to award a penalty for handball from a shot by Antoine Griezmann. He does several times and, at the end of the sequence, he touches his forearm touches to reaffirm his complaint. At no time does he make the gesture interpreted by the media.

"Our coach, whenever he has made a mistake, has never shied away from admitting when he has done so. Therefore, we will not accept him being accused of acts that he did not commit and that are completely false."

The second leg at the Calderon was tied at 2-2 when Griezmann's strike appeared to strike the arm of Jordi Alba. The referee waved play on and Barca broke to make it 3-2 on the night, and 4-2 on aggregate.

Gabi was then dismissed during angry scenes at the break, while Mario Suarez was sent off for a second bookable offence in the dying minutes.

However, Arda Turan was also involved in a controversial incident early in the second half when he appeared to throw his boot at a linesman. The midfielder avoided retrospective action over the incident, though, as he was booked by the referee at the time.

 

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Pogba sends rumour mill spinning with Spanish revelation

Real Madrid's hopes of winning the race to sign Paul Pogba have been boosted by the revelation that the Juventus star is learning Spanish.

The France international, 21, is under contract with the Scudetto holders until 2019 but the midfielder's agent announced on Friday that he expects Pogba to depart Turin inside the next 18 months.

Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United and Chelsea have all been linked with a €100 million move for the midfielder but, if Pogba's latest comments are a hint towards his destination, then it looks like his future might lie in La Liga."I'm very happy in Turin," the 21-year-old told 'Filo Diretto' on JTV. "It's a perfect city.

"I love to live every day to the fullest. When I'm not busy with the team, I like to watch television or go out with my friends, Juve full-back Patrice Evra and forward Fernando Llorente."It's thanks to Llorente that I'm learning Spanish."

Pogba has gone from strength-to-strength since joining Juve from Manchester United in the summer of 2012, winning two Serie A titles as well as the award for the best young player at last year's World Cup.