..::Football III::..

[Wolverine GTR]

Mourinho: PSG deserved to beat Chelsea

Jose Mourinho accepted that Paris Saint-Germain deserved to beat Chelsea in Tuesday's 1-1 Champions League draw.

Edinson Cavani's second-half header ensured that the spoils were shared after Branislav Ivanovic had put the visitors ahead shortly before half-time in the last 16 first leg.

Mourinho saw his side beaten 3-1 at Parc des Princes last season and he was much more pleased with how his Blues fared in the French capital this year, despite accepting that his team were the inferior of the two.

"The first half was all ours," the Portuguese coach told reporters. "PSG allowed us to have the ball and rarely pressured us, but the second half was different.

"We were aggressive and always tried to play quickly and directly. I think the 1-1 result is a good reflection of what happened, thanks to some great saves from our goalkeeper.

"To be honest... If anyone deserved to have won it was PSG, not Chelsea. But everything is open for the second leg. PSG are a fantastic team so I think we did really well."

Chelsea face Burnley and West Ham in the Premier League and Tottenham in the League Cup final before the return leg versus PSG at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday March 11.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Chelsea played with five injured players, moans Mourinho

Jose Mourinho has claimed that he was forced to select five unfit players for Chelsea's 1-1 draw at Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League last-16 first leg.

The Blues took the lead at the Parc des Princes, with Branislav Ivanovic heading in from Gary Cahill’s flick, but were pegged back in a dominant second half from the home side.

Thibaut Courtois, praised by skipper John Terry in the aftermath of the game, made a string of fine saves but was powerless to stop Edinson Cavani from finding the back of the net.

Mourinho admits his side flagged in the second period, failing to muster a single shot on goal, but was keen to point out that many of his players carried knocks heading into the match which prevented them from training.

"Sometimes people they speak about the players when they are injured and they don't play. But there are injured players that play," Mourinho told ITV afterwards.

"The injured players that play don't train to play. I had in this team five players that didn't train. They didn't train once since the game at Everton.

"They had a warming down yesterday for the press to see they were on the pitch. We felt that a little. I'm happy with the result. Two legs is now one leg with everything to be decided at Stamford Bridge."

When asked if Chelsea might have won the match after Ivanovic's opener, Mourinho continued: "We could lose, too. The result is a positive one. I don't say 'very good' because it depends on the result of the second leg.

"But I say a positive result against a very good team. A team with fantastic attacking players. When they were losing we knew that they would have a go so it was a difficult match.

"When you see the performance of our goalkeeper you have to say 'yes' [Chelsea got away with it]. Our goalkeeper made two or three important saves in the game."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

'Bayern are a one-man team with Robben'

Bayern Munich have become a "one-man team" with Arjen Robben at their epicentre and are risking alienating "best No.9 in the world" Robert Lewandowski , according to Dietmar Hamann.

The five-time European champions drew 0-0 with Shakhtar Donetsk in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie in Lviv on Tuesday, despite losing Xabi Alonso to a second-half sending-off.

And the former Bayern midfielder said after the match that the team are expecting too much from Robben as they aim to regain the continental crown they last won in 2013.

"Bayern are a one-man team at the moment," Hamann told Sky Sports. "Mario Gotze has had his ups and downs, and Franck Ribery is back from injury but didn’t get involved tonight.

"Thomas Muller is better deeper when he can come from deep and use his pace."
Hamann went on to add that the exclusion of Lewandowski, who came off the bench for the last 15 minutes in Lviv, could lead the Poland striker to consider quitting Pep Guardiola’s side for another of Europe’s top clubs."I’m surprised Lewandowski started on the bench. His head is not in the right place," Hamann said.

"If you want to be successful against the best teams, like Barcelona and Real Madrid, you need Lewandowski and I don’t know how much he’ll be on the side of the coach."There are no assurances he’ll be there next season. The way they play under Guardiola, I don’t think it suits Lewandowski. At Bayern, he simply doesn’t get enough balls.

"Manchester United could do with a Lewandowski. I think he’s tailor-made for Arsenal or Manchester United. He's the best No.9 in the world."Bayern will host Shakhtar in the second leg clash at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday March 11.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Lewandowski ta starting lineup 1ke chance 1ka dennema naha nedaaparade BVB hitiyanam meeta wada hodai​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Kroos: I'm not at 100 per cent yet

Toni Kroos does not think he has quite reached his peak with Real Madrid - but is determined to keep improving.

The Germany international, 25, arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu last summer for an estimated €30 million after winning the World Cup and has started every single Liga game for Carlo Ancelotti this season.

Kroos dismissed suggestions that he has been busier on the pitch in 2014-15 in Ancelotti's 4-3-3 system but says he does have his sights set on improving in the coming months.

"I don't think I have run more this season than in my entire career," the central midfielder told reporters on Tuesday. "But this transfer abroad has been a new experience.

"The club have helped me at all levels and my integration into the squad has been totally achieved. My position here is more defensive, but I'm used to it now after seven months and I hope to reach 100 per cent of my ability here."I do not think there will be much change in my role when [Luka] Modric returns [from injury]."

Kroos also admitted his side were hit hard by their mauling at Atletico Madrid earlier this month but looked ahead with confidence towards Wednesday's Champions League last-16 first leg at Schalke."The derby defeat was a very bad result," he added. "It has been the most negative thing in recent weeks because the general atmosphere in the dressing room is good.

"There are some significant injuries to team-mates, though, but I feel perfectly fine.
"Last year's win over Schalke in the last 16 is not important. The important thing is to qualify for the last eight this time."It's a nice feeling to play in Germany again, but this time as a Real Madrid player. I remember my matches here with Bayern, we got some good results. I hope to repeat them tomorrow."

Real Madrid's clash with Schalke kicks off at 20:45CET, with the return leg at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday March 10.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Chelsea vow action after fans racially abuse man in Paris metro station

A group of Chelsea supporters have been filmed preventing a black man from entering a Paris Metro train and subsequently chanting abuse at the individual, with the club promising action if those involved can be identified.

The incident occurred on the eve of the club's Champions League draw with Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday evening, with Branislav Ivanovic's goal having helped the Londoners to a 1-1 draw at Parc des Princes.

Amateur film footage that has been circulated via social media appears to show a group of Chelsea supporters denying a black man entry to a subway train, physically forcing him back onto the platform.

The fans then audibly chant "we're racist, we're racist and that's the way we like it", leading to a clutch of passengers exiting the train before it departs the station.

A Chelsea spokesman told Goal: "Such behaviour is abhorrent and has no place in football or society.

"We will support any criminal action against those involved in such behaviour and, should evidence point to the involvement of Chelsea season ticket holders or members, the club will take the strongest possible action against them, including banning orders."

The images will come as a blow to Uefa, which has been using its 'no to racism' campaign as a platform to combat incidents of racism and discriminatory behaviour.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

UEFA Champions League 2015.02.18 1st Leg Fixtures

UEFA Champions League 2015.02.18 1st Leg Fixtures

Basel Vs Porto

Schalke Vs Real Madrid

​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Schalke 0-2 Real Madrid: Ronaldo and Marcelo give visitors the edge

Real Madrid equalled the longest winning run in Champions League history as they beat Schalke 2-0 in Wednesday's last-16, first-leg clash in Gelsenkirchen.

Cristiano Ronaldo's 73rd goal in the competition set the defending champions on their way in the first half, before Marcelo sealed victory with a stunning 79th-
minute strike into the top corner.

It was the 10th consecutive win in the tournament for the visitors, equalling a record set by Bayern Munich just two years ago.

Ronaldo's perfectly placed header lit up a first half that was otherwise lacking in clear-cut chances, the Portugal international losing Joel Matip to score his 58th Champions League goal in as many games for Madrid.

Having scored six on the road against Schalke at the same stage last season, Real pushed for further goals in the second half, but their attacking play was largely devoid of the quality normally on show from the 10-time winners of Europe's premier competition.

Roberto Di Matteo's side had posed some threat in the final third in the first half and came closest to getting on the scoresheet in the 74th minute as Felix Platte crashed a volley against the crossbar.

The visitors raised their game after that scare and Marcelo ensured a two-goal advantage heading into the second-leg in the Spanish capital on March 10.
Schalke created the better openings early on, but Dennis Aogo wasted two attempts on goal, while Klaas-Jan Huntelaar brought a good save out of Iker Casillas with a low shot.

Having been restricted largely to wayward long-range efforts, Real found a way through in the 26th minute when Ronaldo opened the scoring.

Daniel Carvajal was the architect with an inviting cross from the right that Ronaldo converted with ease, the 30-year-old ending a wait of four hours and 59 minute for a competitive goal as he headed past Champions League debutant Timon Wellenreuther.

Huntelaar, who is serving a domestic suspension, saw his night come to an early end just after the half hour following a strong challenge from Raphael Varane, further reducing Schalke's attacking options.

As half-time approached a second Real goal looked inevitable, but they were twice thwarted by Wellenreuther, the 19-year-old denying Karim Benzema before producing a stunning stop to keep out a Ronaldo free-kick.

Sensing more goals were in the offing, Carlo Ancelotti's side raised the tempo after the break with Gareth Bale and Ronaldo taking centre stage, but Wellenreuther commanded his area well to keep his side in the game.Real went close to doubling their advantage through Isco with 18 minutes remaining, the midfielder playing a one-two with Bale before blazing over the crossbar.

They were nearly made to rue that miss a minute later as Platte finally beat Casillas with a superb volley, but his effort thudded against the crossbar and Atsuto Uchida failed to convert the rebound.

Ancelotti's men did grab a second with 11 minutes remaining as Marcelo sent a right-footed effort arrowing into the top corner, giving the visitors a comfortable cushion heading into the second-leg.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Real Madrid Pink Kit 1ka patta​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Basel 1-1 Porto: Danilo rescues draw for Portuguese side

Danilo's 79th-minute penalty gave Porto a deserved equaliser as their 1-1 draw at Basel moved them a step closer to the Champions League quarter-finals.

Wednesday's first leg of the round of 16 clash in Switzerland was completely dominated by the visitors, who fell behind in the 11th minute to a Derlis Gonzalez strike.

That would prove be Basel's only meaningful attack of the game though, as two-time winners Porto ramped up the pressure, with Cristian Tello denied a leveller by the offside flag late in the first half.Casemiro was next to have a goal chalked off, after his flick from a corner was ruled out for interference on Basel goalkeeper Tomas Vaclik.

Porto were celebrating for an extended period following the goal but, following consultation from his officials, referee Mark Clattenburg correctly ruled that Vaclik had been impeded by both Jackson Martinez and Ivan Marcano in his attempt to save the effort.

Julen Lopetegui's men finally got back on level terms with 11 minutes to play, however, after Walter Samuel was penalised for a handball from Danilo's cross.
Samuel's intervention was not deliberate but it was a clear penalty, with Danilo dispatching the spot-kick into the bottom-left corner to give his side an all-important away goal.Porto will now be favourites to progress to the last eight when they host the second leg on March 10.

Porto, who had won just one of their last 13 away matches in the competition's knockout stages, made the brighter start, but it was Basel who would take the lead with their first chance of the game.

Fabian Frei's ball in and behind the Porto defence sent Gonzalez free and his excellent first touch set up a chance on goal.

Defenders Alex Sandro and Maicon were closing in but Gonzalez did just enough to prod the ball past onrushing goalkeeper Fabiano and into the bottom-left corner before the pair collided.

Gonzalez required treatment after his goal and was eventually taken off in the 25th minute, replaced by Davide Calla.Basel were happy to sit back following their opener but Danilo gave them a scare when his 25-yard effort required a clever save from Vaclik.

And Porto had claims for a penalty when Martinez went to ground under close attention from Samuel on the half-hour mark.

Samuel pulled the captain's armband, worn by the Porto forward, off as the pair tangled but perhaps the Colombian's theatrical fall went against him as Clattenburg waved play on.Tello was denied by the offside flag as the first half drew to a close and once play resumed, Porto had another goal ruled out.

That did not deter the Portuguese giants though, with Vaclik required to keep out a smart Tello effort from an acute angle in the 58th minute.A heavy first touch then robbed Martinez of a quick shot on goal, although he was still clever enough to lift an effort over Vaclik - only to see his effort drop onto the roof of the net.

The avalanche of Porto attacks continued as Hector Herrera tried his luck from distance against a Basel side that had still registered just one shot on target before the equaliser finally came.

Samuel could not get his arm out of the way from Danilo's cross and the 23-year-old stepped up to take the penalty, scoring emphatically to give his side the upper hand in the tie.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Terry upbeat over new Chelsea deal

John Terry admits that he is yet to hold talks with Chelsea over a new contract but is confident that he will extend his stay at Stamford Bridge beyond this summer.

The 34-year-old has been the pillar of Jose Mourinho's defence this season and featured as the Blues survived a second-half barrage to claim a 1-1 draw at Paris Saint-Germain in Tuesday's Champions League round-of-16 first-leg clash at Parc des Princes.

The Chelsea captain's current contract expires at the end of June and last summer's releases of Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole have raised the possibility that another of the stalwarts of the Roman Abramovich era could be allowed to depart.

In recent months, however, Mourinho has repeatedly asserted his confidence that Terry will be retained and the former England captain is also optimistic that an agreement with Chelsea will be reached when the time comes.

"The club know my position, I know theirs and it will hopefully get done," he told reporters. "No talks have happened yet but we both respect the position. There are a lot of more important players than me - [Eden] Hazard's one that's just been done - and that's the most important thing for the club.

"Without them even telling me that, I know that's the priority for them and hopefully they'll be knocking on the door soon. I want to stay. My performances are showing that and hopefully they can keep me."

Having rediscovered a consistent level close to the best of his career since Mourinho's return to Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2013, Terry has kept his starting spot at the heart of the Chelsea defence even as Gary Cahill and youngster Kurt Zouma have been rotated alongside him.

Terry is full of praise for the promising Frenchman but believes that the professionalism that he – along with the other members of England's 'Golden Generation' – has shown on and off the pitch in recent years has left him well placed to fend off younger challengers for his place.

"When you see the young boys come in - Kurt has been a revelation - they're young, fit, strong and hungry and it makes it even more difficult," he added.

"But in the same way, myself, Stevie [Gerrard], Rio [Ferdinand] and Lamps have looked after ourselves for the last five, six years and it's helping us in our later careers."

At 34, Terry is realistic enough to know that his days competing at the top are numbered but there is no willingness yet to set any kind of firm timetable for his retirement.

When asked how long he thinks he will carry on playing, the Chelsea captain replied: "Hopefully one more season and we'll see how we go. I'm taking it year-by-year."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Howedes: Madrid brutally punished Schalke

Schalke defender Benedikt Howedes feels the Bundesliga side were brutally punished by Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie as they were beaten 2-0 at the Veltins Arena despite giving a good account of themselves.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Marcelo were on target to give the defending champions a comfortable away victory in Wednesday's encounter.Howedes was part of Schalke's back five in Gelsenkirchen and felt they had done well to limit Madrid, although he acknowledged they now face an uphill battle to qualify.

"We defended well overall," said the 26-year-old. "But of course it's a brutal blow to be punished by Real's two chances. "We fought and were very industrious. We gave Real hardly any opportunities to score and that will be our goal in Madrid as well.

"We are not in a good position, but everything is possible in football and we will aim to give a good account of ourselves."The return at the Santiago Bernabeu takes place on March 10.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Porto did better than Real Madrid and Liverpool - Lopetegui

Julen Lopetegui has suggested that Porto were stronger against Basel than Real Madrid and Liverpool were earlier this season, stating that he thinks a 1-1 result was harsh on his players.

Derlis Gonzalez put the Swiss hosts ahead after just 11 minutes, leaving the Portuguese visitors trailing for much of the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie despite being on the front foot the entire time.

Basel finally caved on the 79-minute mark as Walter Samuel was penalised for handball in the penalty area and Danilo converted a spot kick to level the scoreline at St Jakob Park, though Lopetegui believes the visitors deserved much more from the tie.

"In the last 16 of the Champions League all matches are complicated, so we were already waiting for these difficulties," the Porto boss told reporters.

"They scored with their only shot on target while we had many shots on target. I think we deserved an even better result than this."We showed quality and spirit against a team that, in this stadium, had already been superior to Liverpool and Real Madrid."

Porto forward Jackson Martinez thinks the 1-1 draw away at Basel has left the club in a good position ahead of next month's second leg at the Estadio do Dragao, despite the difficulties they faced on Wednesday."It was a difficult game, especially in the first half," the Colombian said. "We knew how to be patient, to look for the goal, and we drew level.

"This result puts us in a good position. We accomplished part of our objective for this game, but there are still 90 minutes to be played."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Kroos: Schalke pitch a catastrophe

Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos blasted the state of the pitch at the Veltins Arena following his side's 2-0 Champions League win over Schalke.

Goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Marcelo helped the reigning champions to a vital away win in the first leg of the round-of-16 tie, yet Kroos was not impressed by the conditions in Gelsenkirchen.

“It was difficult and that was partially down to the state of the pitch," the Germany international told Sky."It should not be an excuse, but the pitch was a catastrophe.”

Kroos then went on to stress that Madrid were not surprised by Schalke's approach and laughed off suggestions of a crisis after their 4-0 league defeat to Atletico Madrid earlier this month."We expected Schalke to play very defensive, but we scored at a good time in the match.

“Perhaps we played better in the first half of the season, but you would have to lose several matches in a row in order to talk about a crisis in my opinion. We lost only one match. I rather lose 4-0 once than lose four matches by one goal."

Kroos also had his say on Ronaldo following the Portugal star's goal after three games without finding the net.

"Ronaldo was focused as usual. He had not scored for two or three matches, but it was a matter of time until he scored again. And today he did just that.”

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Cristiano Ronaldo is back, says Ancelotti

Carlo Ancelotti has stated that "Cristiano Ronaldo is back" after the Ballon d'Or holder ended his goal drought in Real Madrid's 2-0 win over Schalke on Tuesday.
The Portugal international has been under unfamiliar negative spotlight in recent weeks, having missed two Blancos matches with a petulant Liga suspension and having not scored since January 18.

However, a header in the first half of Madrid's Champions League last-16 first leg at the Veltins Arena silenced his doubters and saw him go level with Lionel Messi and Raul as the top scorer in European competitions, with 76 goals across continental tournaments.

"Ronaldo is back," Ancelotti told Canal Plus. "He scored, he made an assist - he did well."

The coach, who guided Real Madrid to their 10th Champions League and European Cup triumph last year, was satisfied with his team's performance against a stubborn and well-organised Schalke side.

"I'm happy," Ancelotti continued. "It's never easy coming into such a game after our period in La Liga. But the players showed good attitude and put in a good performance. It went well.

"The game did not allow brilliance, with Schalke trying to hit us on the counter attack. After we went 1-0 up we controlled the game. We tried to score the second and thankfully we did."

Ancelotti usually refrains from being animated on the touchline but Marcelo's sumptuous strike late in the second half to seal the victory for the visitors had him celebrating with his players and he explained his reaction was due to the oddity of his left-back's goal."I went to celebrate the goal on the pitch because it is so unusual to see Marcelo scoring with his right foot," the Italian added.

The return tie - which will decide whether Madrid or Schalke head into the quarter-final stage - will take place at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday March 10.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Di Matteo: Schalke let Madrid escape

Roberto Di Matteo believes Schalke could have gotten a better result against Real Madrid had they been more clinical in the wake of his side's 2-0 Champions League round-of-16 defeat.

Goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Marcelo helped the reigning champions to an away-win at the Veltins Arena, but Di Matteo feels the result could easily have been different with a bit of luck.

Young striker Felix Platte hit the crossbar for Schalke with the score still at 1-0 and Atsuto Uchida failed to tap home the rebound, with Marcelo firing in shortly afterwards, and the Italian coach was unable to hide his disappointment with how things panned out for his side in the end.

"We wanted more and we tried hard to get a better result. We had our chances in the first half and then hit the crossbar after the break when it was still 1-0. We would have seen a very different result had we scored there," Di Matteo told Sky.
"We had our chances, but failed to take them. You get little chances in games like this and you have to convert them.

"It is never easy against Madrid. They are very strong on the counter attack. We all saw it toward the end of the first half when we allowed them too much space.
"It will be very difficult to turn things around in Madrid, but we still believe in it. Nothing is impossible."

The return at the Santiago Bernabeu will take place on March 10.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Lampard: Ronaldo has turned a corner

Manchester City midfielder Frank Lampard believes that Cristiano Ronaldo's goal against Schalke in the Champions League could prove "a turning point" in the Real Madrid star's form in 2015.

Since winning the Ballon d'Or for a second consecutive year, the Portuguese has been below his best for the Blancos and had gone a month without scoring before the trip to Gelsenkirchen on Wednesday.

Ronaldo placed a header past the home goalkeeper to set Madrid on their way to a 2-0 win in the first leg of their last-16 tie and Lampard says that the forward's sheer desire to turn things around was on show.

"We all have have those patches in our careers, even the Ronaldos of this world do. When you are in that patch, sometimes you have to work through it," he told Sky Sports.

"It can be a frustrating night where things don't come off but, when you've got that, and we always talk about his desire to be the best, that run for the goal against Schalke is desire.

"He's the only one who wants to get in the box, he knows how to do it, he scores every type of goal. That could be a turning point for him."

While Marcelo scored the other goal for Carlo Ancelotti's men, Lampard had a more cautious assessment of Wales international Gareth Bale, whom he feels might be too "nice" to fulfil his potential at present.

"I get the feeling from Gareth Bale that he's a nice boy," the ex-Chelsea star observed. "There is a bit of ego and he should have ego because of what he's achieved so far in the game but maybe, when you're a nice boy, there may be a moment there where you're thinking 'actually, shall I take it on? Shall I go at goal? Or shall I look for that other one in case I get criticised?'

"I hope that goes out of his game very quick because, if that is there, then all of a sudden it's going to affect him."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Ronaldo not obsessed with goals, insists Marcelo

Real Madrid defender Marcelo has insisted Cristiano Ronaldo is not obsessed with scoring goals in the wake of his header in the 2-0 Champions League win over Schalke to end his goal drought.

The Portugal international opened the scoring at the Veltins Arena after 26 minutes of play, ending a three-match goalless streak in the process, before Marcelo put the match to bed in the 79th minute with a fine strike from the edge of the area.
Nevertheless, the left-back has insisted that scoring goals is not Ronaldo's main objective, adding that it's all about winning games for the prolific attacker."Cristiano is not obsessed with scoring goals," Marcelo told Canal+ when asked about the Portuguese attacker's 37th strike of the season.

"Goals always come in the end when he works hard and the team works hard, too. The most important thing is that we won."The Brazilian defender then went on to stress that the tie is by no means over just yet, irrespective of Madrid's first-leg victory, before adding the Santiago Bernabeu side are slowly getting back the good feeling from earlier this season.

"The tie is not finished just yet. We remain humble. Anything can happen. We have to work like we did here in Gelsenkirchen in order to progress. Schalke are a great team and made life hard for us. We hold the advantage, but nothing has been decided.

"This game help us get back the good feeling from 2014. We are on the right path again. We enjoyed ourselves on the pitch."The second leg is scheduled to take place at the Bernabeu on March 10.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Cavani: It's not easy for Suarez at Barcelona

Edinson Cavani says Luis Suarez is struggling at Barcelona because the Catalans are not used to playing with "a pure No.9".

Suarez joined the Spanish outfit from Liverpool last summer for €94 million but has so far failed to justify his lofty price tag, scoring just four times in 14 Liga appearances this season.

Cavani, though, insists that his Uruguay team-mate just needs time to settle at Camp Nou and get used to Barca's brand of free-flowing, passing football."Luis now has a different role at Barca to the one he had at Liverpool," the Paris Saint-Germain striker told Marca Plus.

"It can't be easy for him. It is difficult because he has a lot of movement and Barca are not used to playing with a pure No.9."With the talent that Luis has, though, I am sure he will give a lot to Barca. "I think that if a team is used to playing in a certain way, you have to find the best way to adapt to the system."

Cavani also argued that the reason why Uruguay have often struggled to get the best out of their stellar forward line is that he and Suarez are too similar.
"We're both in-the-box strikers, which means it's difficult to have an understanding," the 28-year-old attacker added.

"It needs preparation, which we have little time for with the national team. I know that with a little more work we could understand each other better."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Official: West Ham sign Nene

West Ham have wrapped up a deal to sign former Paris Saint-Germain forward Nene, the east London club have confirmed.

Previously, West Brom had been favourites to recruit the 33-year-old, who was a free agent after leaving Qatari club Al Gharafa earlier in 2015, but the Hammers hijacked the move after suffering several failures on transfer deadline day.

After Nene went through a medical with the Londoners, Jack Sullivan - son of West Ham co-owner David - posted a picture on Twitter of the ex-Monaco and PSG star with his new contract.

The veteran attacker has agreed a deal to represent Sam Allardyce's side until the summer, but Sullivan claims there is an option to extend his contract by a year.

Nene shared his delight at the move, telling the club's official website: "I am very excited and happy to be here. I'm proud to come to a really big club like West Ham and I'm going to do my best to help the team.

"I've been thinking about coming back to Europe for a few months because here the football, the ambience, everything is better.

"It's a really good challenge for me, to come to a competition like the Premier League. It's the most competitive in the world so this is the motivation for me."

The Brazilian could be available to face Tottenham in the Premier League on Sunday.