..::Football III::..

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Manchester United 0-0 Newcastle United: Poor finishing costs Van Gaal's side

Manchester United's 100 per cent record in the Premier League this season came to an end as they were held to a goalless draw by Newcastle United.

United had the better start as Tim Krul saved well from Juan Mata, though Aleksandar Mitrovic did see a header come back off the crossbar for the visitors.

The Red Devils continued to dominate after the break, and substitute Javier Hernandez almost broke the deadlock as Krul saved with his feet.

But Louis van Gaal's side could not find a way through as Chris Smalling hit the post with a header in the final minute.

Van Gaal, who handed a first start to Bastian Schweinsteiger, insisted earlier in the week that he was happy with his attacking options, but the Dutchman may wish to reassess that view with just 10 days of the transfer window remaining.

The hosts dominated from the off and Wayne Rooney – now without a goal in his last 10 games – had the ball in the net four minutes in after latching onto Adnan Januzaj's throughball, only to be denied by a marginal offside call.

Rooney, so off-colour in the early weeks of the campaign, looked bright and led the charge as United poured forward in the first quarter of an hour.

It felt like a matter of time before they broke Newcastle's resistance, with Krul twice called into action to deny Mata before Rooney tested the Dutchman from 20 yards.

But Newcastle's first real foray into United's half after 24 minutes almost resulted in an unlikely opener, as Mitrovic's superb header from Chancel Mbemba's inch-perfect cross from the right hit the crossbar with Sergio Romero beaten.

Unsurprisingly, United's intensity dropped after their breathless start and Ayoze Perez's snapshot had Romero scrambling across his goal just before the break.

Memphis Depay was the catalyst for their midweek win over Club Brugge, but he could not get going here – his below-par display summed up by a wild shot blazed well over the bar on the hour.

United failed to replicate their start to the first half after the interval and Van Gaal turned to Michael Carrick – in place of Schweinsteiger – and Hernandez in an attempt to lift his side.

But, aside from Hernandez's late chance that Krul got down well to save and Smalling's header that hit the upright, United could not find a way through a well-drilled Newcastle backline as Steve McClaren's team escaped with a hard-earned point after Florian Thauvin just failed to make contact with Papiss Cisse's low cross in the closing stages.

 

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Tuchel: I don't want a right-back

Borussia Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel insists the club won't buy another right-back, despite their current injury problems in that area of the pitch.Lukasz Piszczek is out with a hip injury and Erik Durm is also on the sidelines ahead of Sunday's Bundesliga game at Ingolstadt.

"I didn't say that we will sign a right-back because that's definitely not the plan," Tuchel said."We rely on the speedy recovery of Piszczek and Durm. Therefore there is no need at the moment."

Dortmund hammered Borussia Monchengladbach 4-0 in their opening league game last weekend before coming from 3-0 down to beat Odd 4-3 in the Europa League play-off round first leg on Thursday.

Ingolstadt made a promising start to life in the top flight by claiming a 1-0 success at Mainz and Tuchel is not underestimating Ralph Hasenhuttl's men
Tuchel added: "The team have scored many goals and therefore they deserved the promotion. "In the first game they won in Mainz. This is a very difficult and complicated game. They played with the same team that has played even in the second division.

"This shows that they have confidence in their team and that there is great confidence between the coach and the team.

"I expect a very strong opponent and a very intense match."

 

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Barca are La Liga favourites – Luis Enrique

Barcelona coach Luis Enrique is confident his side can successfully defend their league title as they prepare to open their campaign against Athletic Bilbao.

Barca clinched the league by two points from rivals Real Madrid, but were beaten 5-1 over two legs by Bilbao in the Supercopa de Espana in their build-up to the new season.

Luis Enrique's side claimed the Uefa Super Cup against Sevilla, however, and, despite seeing Pedro join Chelsea in midweek, the Barca boss says his side are set to be frontrunners again this term."It's a long season and it's all about consistency, but starting with a win is always good," he said.

"We're the champions and we have to defend our title. We're the favourites just as Atletico [Madrid] were last season. As the year goes on things can change. "It will be a competitive league, with three or four teams in with a chance.

"It's been unusual in that we've had to play for two trophies off the back of what we did last season.

"We're in good condition and are ready to compete. We're excited to play good football and to win trophies."Luis Enrique was also quizzed about the fitness of Neymar and Jordi Alba, who have been absent with mumps and hamstring issues respectively.

"Jordi has been declared fit and has been able to train and when we get to Bilbao we will see if he is going to play or not. He is a welcome addition to the squad," added the Barca boss."Neymar has started training today. He has started pre-season this Saturday and given his illness, how he comes on will determine when he will be available.

"I am not worried if it takes Neymar a little bit of time to get back to fitness. Given how he is, I am sure he will get fit quickly and will be back available soon."

 

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Hoffenheim 1-2 Bayern Munich: Lewandowski to the rescue after Boateng sees red

Robert Lewandowski scored a 90th minute winner as Bayern Munich beat Hoffenheim 2-1, despite seeing Jerome Boateng sent off in the second half.

Kevin Volland capitalised on a mistake from David Alaba to open the scoring after only nine seconds at the Rhein-Neckar-Arena. His strike equalled the record set by Bayer Leverkusen's Karim Bellarabi a year ago on Sunday for the Bundesliga's fastest ever goal.

Bayern recovered and were deservedly level at half-time after Thomas Muller took his tally to three goals in the first two Bundesliga games of the season, having netted twice in the 5-0 thrashing of Hamburg.

Muller and Arturo Vidal were denied by the woodwork as the champions dominated, but Hoffenheim were given a great chance to win the game when they were awarded a penalty after Jerome Boateng was shown a second yellow card 17 minutes from time.

But Eugen Polanski's spot-kick hit the post and there was worse to come for Hoffenheim, who were beaten at Bayer Leverkusen last weekend, as Lewandowski struck a minute from time to deservedly secure all three points.

Hoffenheim fans have endured misery against Bayern over the years, but they were out of their seats when Volland was gifted an opening straight from the kick off.

Alaba was far too casual with a stray pass which allowed the forward to fire beyond Manuel Neuer.

Hoffenheim goalkeeper Oliver Baumann then produced a fine save to tip Muller's header over the crossbar after Philipp Lahm whipped in an inviting cross.

Medhi Benatia was replaced by Rafinha due to injury, but Bayern were not disrupted as Muller struck a post and then equalised by finishing with his knee after Baumann had palmed Douglas Costa's shot into his path five minutes before the break.Arjen Robben shot wide as Bayern continued to control proceedings, but failed to edge in front before half-time.

Costa wasted another chance early in the second half when he shot high and wide after great work from Mario Gotze - who was recalled at the expense of Lewandowski.

Robben was replaced by Thiago Alcantara just before the hour-mark and it looked to be only a matter of time before the champions took the lead, with the dangerous Costa again causing havoc down the left as he lashed in a shot which Baumann got a hand to before Niklas Sule cleared. Arturo Vidal's measured strike hit the crossbar and Robert Lewandowski was denied by Baumann soon after coming on as Hoffenheim continued to ride their luck.

There was drama 17 minutes from time as Boateng was shown a second yellow card in as many minutes for handball, which resulted in a penalty that Polanski was unable to convert as he found the woodwork. Muller thought he had won it when he had the ball in the back of the net 10 minutes from time but was adjudged to have handled, then Lewandowski's shot was tipped wide by the outstanding Baumann in a dramatic finale.

Muller headed against the post, but the winner finally came when Costa crossed and Lewandowski was on hand to apply the finish.

 

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Van Gaal responds to Neymar links

Louis van Gaal has once again refused to respond the questioning on his Manchester United transfer plans, this time regarding a rumoured move for Barcelona forward Neymar.

It was claimed on Friday night that United have been working on a move for Neymar, who arrived at Camp Nou from Santos in 2013 and helped forge a treble-winning attacking line-up with Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi last season.

In Friday's press conference Van Gaal would not shed any light on the events which saw Pedro leave Barca for Chelsea, despite previous interest from the Red Devils, and following Saturday's goalless draw with Newcastle the Dutchman adopted a familiar stance: "I don't enter in this discussion. You can ask about all the players in the world and you are doing it every press conference and every press conference I have to say the same.

"I have to protect the interests of Manchester United, I have to protect the players in my selection, I have to protect the people in my organisation, and you can say anything, you can mention every player but I cannot anwer these questions.

"So that's the difficulty. I know your problem because the media wants to know that but I cannot say that."

United signed Memphis Depay back in May before adding Matteo Darmian, Morgan Schneiderlin and Bastian Schweinsteiger in quick succession in July, and later brought in goalkeeper Sergio Romero on a free transfer during the pre-season tour of the United States.

But they have started the season shrouded by uncertainty in the transfer window, with David de Gea still the subject of interest from Real Madrid, while Sergio Ramos elected to stay in the Spanish capital despite United's attempts to lure him to Old Trafford.

Last week they lost out to Chelsea in the race to sign Pedro, while former target Nicolas Otamendi moved to Manchester City for £31.7 million from Valencia.

 

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"I have to protect the interests of Manchester United, I have to protect the players in my selection, I have to protect the people in my organisation, and you can say anything, you can mention every player but I cannot anwer these questions.

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Leicester City 1-1 Tottenham: Mahrez strikes again to deny Spurs

Riyad Mahrez bagged his fourth goal of the season to extend Tottenham's wait for a first Premier League win as the north Londoners were pegged back to draw 1-1 against in-form Leicester City at the King Power Stadium.

Spurs bossed possession in the first half but struggled to create any clear-cut chances, while, in contrast, Mahrez's direct running and dangerous dribbling was a constant threat and he ought to have been awarded a penaty when hauled down by Jan Vertonghen.

With time running out, though, teenage substitute Dele Alli came off the bench to net his first goal for Tottenham, racing in at the far post to head home Nacer Chadli's cross from close range.

But barely 90 seconds later, Leicester had pegged back the visitors through Mahrez; the Algeria international - the best player on the pitch - twisted and turned inside the box before unleashing a furious curling drive into the far corner.

It could have been even worse for Spurs when Wes Morgan was presented with a free header from point-blank range, but Hugo Lloris was on hand to make a crucial stop as Leicester extended their unbeaten start to the season.

New signing Gokhan Inler took his place on the bench as Claudio Ranieri stuck with the same Leicester XI that had racked up a 100 per cent record prior to Saturday's game, while, for Tottenham, Erik Lamela replaced Christian Eriksen due to a knee problem.

Mahrez immediately came to the fore during the opening stages on a sweltering afternoon against a nervy Spurs backline, while Shinji Okazaki had an early shot blocked after the visitors failed to deal with Ritchie De Laet's long throw.

Eric Dier netted a header in Tottenham's 2-2 draw with Stoke City last time out, but could not repeat the trick when he met Lamela's 25th-minute corner before referee Martin Atkinson halted the action for the first of two drinks break at the sun-soaked King Power.

Following that time to cool down, Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel had his palms warmed by a Mousa Dembele drive, though Spurs were largely limited to shots from long range.

In the 42nd minute, Vertonghen untidily challenged Mahrez and appeared to pull at the winger's shirt in the area, as well as catching his foot, but a well-placed Atkinson turned away the penalty appeals.

Vertonghen found himself in an advanced position down the Leicester right seven minutes into the second half, when Lamela poked his low cross wide under pressure from Morgan.

Both Jamie Vardy and Tottenham's Harry Kane were largely starved of service as they sought to press their claims before watching England manager Roy Hodgson, though Kane crafted his own chance in the 63rd minute when he bustled into area and prodded his shot at Schmeichel.

Tottenham goalkeeper Lloris was grateful to see a shot from Mahrez thud against the base of his near post and bounce to safety as a previously pedestrian game began to heat up, the visiting defence once again unsettled by his pace and directness.

A showpiece recruit from Napoli, Inler was granted a rousing reception when he replaced Danny Drinkwater with 10 minutes to play, but it was another substitute, Alli, who threatened to steal the headlines.

The former MK Dons midfielder bravely steamed in at the far post, risking injury to bundle the ball home before celebrating in front of the away crowd, but his joy would not last very long as Leicester hauled themselves from the canvas immediately.

Almost straight from the restart, Alli showed his inexperience to switch off as Mahrez dribbled through on goal, came inside onto his left foot and fired into the top corner to crown his man-of-the-match performance with a fitting goal.

 

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Crystal Palace 2-1 Aston Villa: Sako the hero with late winner

Bakary Sako marked his Crystal Palace debut with a late winner as he secured victory over Aston Villa at Selhurst Park.

Villa had the better of the first half as Palace keeper Alex McCarthy made good saves to deny Gabriel Agbonlahor and Jack Grealish.

But having made two substitutions at half-time, the Eagles improved in the second half and thought they had taken the lead as Dwight Gayle's effort deflected in off James McCarthur, but the effort was eventually ruled out following som consultation by the officials.

Alan Pardew's side did eventually take the lead as Scott Dann headed in Jason Puncheon's corner, though the visitors equalised as Adama Traore's effort was deflected in off Pape Souare.

But it was new signing Sako who had the final word as he curled an effort past Brad Guzan after Dann robbed Jordan Amavi in a dangerous area.

Grealish and Rudy Gestede were two of three changes to Tim Sherwood's side and the pair combined down the right early on before the striker failed to connect with an acrobatic effort inside the Palace area.

Palace saw half-hearted penalty appeals turned down when Idrissa Gueye tangled with Wilfried Zaha before Puncheon put the hosts' first sight on goal over the crossbar.

Chances continued to flow but Agbonlahor could only to prod a tame effort at McCarthy while Ashley Westwood's last-ditch lunge denied Zaha after strong running from Glenn Murray.

Villa's momentum was quelled somewhat by a water break in stifling south London heat, although Grealish's fierce drive needed tipping over by McCarthy after play resumed.

Both sides were thwarted by a lack of cutting edge prior to the interval and Pardew introduced Gayle and Jordon Mutch for Zaha and Murray to try and break the deadlock.

The former Peterborough United striker made his first contribution with a cross for Sako - Micah Richards and Guzan combining to deny the Mali international - before Gayle collected Yohan Cabaye's delivery and found the back of the net via McArthur.

The goal appeared to be allowed initially but, amid vociferous Villa appeals, the referee's assistant determined that McArthur to be in an offside position and subsequently ruled it out.

However, the home fans were soon back on their feet as Dann rose highest to thump Puncheon's left-wing corner beyond Guzan.

Described by Sherwood as a combination of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo after arriving from Barcelona, Traore made good on that billing with a searing run through Palace's defence before his cut-back squirmed in off Souare.

But it was another debutant, Sako, who had the final say, curling home after Dann robbed Amavi deep in Villa territory.

 

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Norwich City 1-1 Stoke City: Butland on form in tight contest

Norwich City came from behind to seal a well deserved point against Stoke City at Carrow Road after Russell Martin cancelled out Mame Biram Diouf's early header.

The Senegal international opened the scoring for the visitors from close range after heading in Xherdan Shaqiri's set-piece delivery but, with less than half an hour played, Martin leveled the scoreboard with a smartly taken finish after Stoke failed to clear their lines as the defender shot low through Jack Butland's legs.

Graeme Dorrans and Cameron Jerome both went close to finding a winner for the hosts but were unable to find the decisive goal thanks to an impressive display from the Potters' No.1.

In the dying moments, Stoke summer signing Joselu had a superb opportunity to snatch his first goal in English football and win the game but rushed his shot over the bar.

Shaqiri made his bow, having completed a suspension picked up while playing in Italy, and the Switzerland international did not need long to make an impact as he set up the opening goal with a fine delivery in the 11th minute. The former Inter winger whipped in a free kick from the right which Diouf stooped to head into the bottom-left corner.

Both teams were given the first of two drinks breaks in the 25th minute owing to the energy-sapping heat and the stoppage appeared to benefit an unchanged Norwich side as the hosts levelled matters almost immediately after the resumption.

Martin was denied by a fine save from Butland following a good cross from Nathan Redmond but the ball was worked back into the box and the unmarked skipper promptly slotted the ball through the goalkeeper's legs from close range.

Seven minutes before half-time, Norwich went close to completing the turnaround as Robbie Brady curled a free kick narrowly wide of the right-hand post.

The Canaries continued to dictate matters after the interval, with Jerome and Wes Hoolahan both spurning great chances to score before Dorrans saw an effort turned round the post by Butland.

Butland came to the rescue again in the 61st minute to deny Redmond with a brilliant fingertip save before thwarting Dorrans and Jerome in the final minutes.

And there was yet more drama in injury time as Joselu lashed over the crossbar after the ball fell to him following a free kick, before Bradley Johnson did the same at the other end and Butland tipped a Jerome header above the frame of goal.

 

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West Ham 3-4 Bournemouth: Wilson stars as Cherries stun 10-man Hammers

Callum Wilson grabbed a hat-trick as Bournemouth secured their first Premier League victory by defeating 10-man West Ham 4-3 at Upton Park in a seven-goal thriller.

Wilson took advantage of two defensive errors from Aaron Cresswell to put the visitors 2-0 up at the break but the hosts hit back early in the second half with Mark Noble and Cheikhou Kouyate finding the net in the space of four minutes.

Apparently untroubled by that double setback, however, the south-coast side, in the top flight for the first time, continued to throw men forward and earned their reward when Marc Pugh restored their lead after 66 minutes.

And Wilson then added the fourth from the penalty spot after Carl Jenkinson had brought down Max Gradel, earning a red card for his troubles. West Ham did reduce the arrears through Modibo Maiga but it did not prove enough to deny Bournemouth their historic triumph.

The hosts had headed into the game without the suspended Adrian and injured Mauro Zarate, while Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe again opted to name new defensive recruits Sylvain Distin and Tyrone Mings on the bench.

Bournemouth looked lively during the opening exchanges and duly took the lead after 11 minutes, inadvertently assisted by some poor defending from Cresswell.
 
The West Ham left-back allowed himself to be nudged off the ball by Simon Francis and his low cross was gleefully rifled into the roof of the net by Wilson from close range.
 


And, although the home side did mount some pressure in the wake of that early setback, Bournemouth continued to threaten on the break, with only some desperate defending from Jenkinson preventing Gradel from doubling his side's advantage midway through the half.



That proved to be a temporary reprieve for Slaven Bilic's men, however, as they gifted their opponents another goal just short of the half-hour mark.
 The hapless Cresswell was at fault again, this time under-hitting an attempted back-pass to Darren Randolph and allowing Wilson to nip in and calmly side-foot home. 



Bilic's response was to replace Angelo Ogbonna with James Tomkins, the fact that the Italian did not appear to receive any treatment suggesting that his premature exit was not an enforced one.
 


Not that Tomkins's introduction did much to improve the faltering West Ham defence, with only a superb save from Randolph preventing Gradel from adding a third for rampant Bournemouth in first-half stoppage time.

It was Bournemouth's turn to produce some inept defending immediately after the restart, however, as they conceded two soft goals in quick succession.

The first came via a penalty after Josh King needlessly clipped Noble just inside the box and the long-serving West Ham midfielder duly stepped up to send Artur Boruc the wrong way from the spot.

And moments later Diafra Sakho was allowed to latch on to a long throw from Jenkinson and, although Boruc saved his initial shot, the rebound was swept in by Kouyate.

Undaunted, however, Bournemouth continued to attack and regained the lead after 66 minutes.

Shortly after seeing his fierce shot palmed away by Randolph, Pugh was given far too much room down the right and having dummied Jenkinson, he found the top corner with a superb right-foot curler. With 12 minutes left, Jenkinson compounded his miserable afternoon by bringing down Gradel.

Off went the on-loan Arsenal defender, continuing an alarming trend of red cards that has developed since Bilic took charge, before Wilson fired home from the spot to secure the match ball.

And although Maiga gave West Ham some late hope with a neat finish, Bournemouth were not to be denied.

 

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Sunderland 1-1 Swansea City: Defoe secures draw after Gomis opener

Jermain Defoe scored a second-half equaliser to rescue a point for Sunderland as they drew 1-1 with Swansea City at the Stadium of Light.

The Black Cats conceded seven goals in losing their opening two fixtures, prompting Dick Advocaat to arrange an emergency meeting to address his side's dismal early-season form.

When Bafetimbi Gomis put Swansea in front on the stroke of half-time on Saturday, that disappointing run looked set to continue, but Defoe drifted through the Swans' defence shortly after the hour mark to restore parity with a neat finish.

Swansea pushed to re-establish their lead, with Jonjo Shelvey, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Gomis all denied by the impressive Costel Pantilimon, while substitute Steven Fletcher came agonisingly close to clinching all three points for the hosts.

The result maintains Swansea's unbeaten start to the season and sees Sunderland register their first point of the campaign.

Danny Graham faced his former club as one of three changes made by Advocaat, while Ki Sung-Yueng - a former Black Cats loanee - lost his race to be fit for a return to the Stadium of Light, despite suggestions during the week that he had shaken off a hamstring problem.

Sunderland looked re-energised after their crisis talks but, as on-field tensions began to simmer, Jeremain Lens and Lee Cattermole both picked up yellow cards.

The hosts' industrious approach was, however, limiting Swansea's attacking threat, with Gomis sending a 20-yard strike down the throat of Pantilimon in a rare opportunity for Garry Monk's men.

Graham got an overhead kick on target for the home side, held by Lukasz Fabianski via a deflection off Jack Cork, but Sunderland were momentarily reduced to 10 men following a clash of heads between Montero and Billy Jones.

Advocaat's side should arguably have been down another man when the already-booked Lens clumsily felled Montero in Jones's absence but Swansea broke the deadlock in first-half stoppage time. Gomis latched onto a perfectly weighted Kyle Naughton ball down his right-hand side to fire a low effort across Pantilimon for his eighth goal in nine Premier League matches.

Gomis and Andre Ayew delivered the goals in both Swansea's opening fixtures this season and the Ghana international almost got in on the act once again when, unmarked, he headed against the left-hand post from a Shelvey delivery.

Lens then had the ball in the back of the net at the other end, though the Dutchman was rightly flagged for offside, but he was on hand to provide the assist when Defoe levelled. The striker spotted a gap and slipped through the Swansea defence to meet Lens's pass and slot home.

A determined Swansea pressed to restore their advantage and Shelvey forced Pantilimon into a diving save with a shot from range, before Sigurdsson did the same moments later.

And there was one more heroic part for Pantilimon to play as the Romania goalkeeper got a strong hand to a powerful Gomis header to protect a valuable point.

 

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McClaren thrilled with Old Trafford draw

Steve McClaren was full of praise for his Newcastle United side after watching them keep Manchester United at bay and leave Old Trafford with a point after a 0-0 draw.

The hosts dominated for the majority of Saturday's Premier League meeting but failed to make their overwhelming pressure pay as Javier Hernandez and Chris Smalling both missed key chances late on.

Aleksandar Mitrovic struck the crossbar with a first-half header and Florian Thauvin almost snatched a stoppage time winner but it was his team's resilience which most delighted head coach McClaren."I'm delighted with both the performance and the result," he said.

"Surviving the first 20 minutes was the key to the game, and to go in at half-time at 0-0 gave us a chance."We always know that after Europe, the game on the Saturday can be difficult."

The former England manager was especially pleased with the way his side stood firm in the opening stages away from home and believes his side got stronger as the match went on."You have to score in the first 20 minutes and they went all out for that," the former United assistant added.

"We survived that and grew into the game and we could have nicked it. "Attitude, defensively, organisation, discipline - [we showed] all the things you need to get a result away from home, especially here."

 

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Bayern will learn from slow start - Guardiola

Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola says his side will learn from their mistakes after falling 1-0 down to Hoffenheim before winning 2-1 thanks to Robert Lewandowski's 90th minute winner.

Kevin Volland scored after just nine seconds - the joint fastest goal in Bundesliga history - but Thomas Muller equalised shortly before half-time.Bayern then went down to 10 men when Jerome Boateng was sent off in the second half, with his second booking resulting in a penalty which Eugen Polanski failed to convert.

And substitute Lewandowski capitalised on his side's good luck by firing home in injury-time to give his side the win."I'm satisfied with the win and above all the performance of the team," said Guardiola. "We can only learn from that, it wasn't the best start but we had 93 minutes to make it right."

The result leaves Bayern top of the Bundesliga with two wins from their opening two games of the season.

 

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Barcelona announce Pedro press conference

Barcelona have announced Pedro will hold a press conference at the club on Monday to officially mark his departure.

The winger agreed a move to Chelsea last week after a summer of speculation linking him with a move to Manchester United.

Pedro had previously been a regular in the Barca line-up under Pep Guardiola, Tito Vilanova and Gerardo Martino, but fell down the pecking order upon Luis Enrique's appointment as coach.Neymar, Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi were the preferred front three last term and will be again this season, resulting in his decision to exit the club.

However, he will say goodbye to supporters and answer questions from reporters at a press gathering on Monday, before embarking on his new adventure at Stamford Bridge.A statement on the club's official website read: "Pedro Rodríguez will appear before the press on Monday 24 August at 1.00pm CET.

"The venue will be the press room at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper.
"Pedro played 321 games for the first team, scoring 99 goals before last Thursday's move to Chelsea."

 

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Verona 1-1 Roma: Fortuitous Florenzi strike earns Giallorossi a point in Serie A opener

A second-half strike from Alessandro Florenzi secured a point for Roma as they began their Serie A campaign with a hard-fought 1-1 draw at Verona.

Having finished second last term and made several notable loan acquisitions during the close-season, Rudi Garcia's men are widely expected to be among the front-runners again, but were made to work hard for their point by a pacy and industrious Verona side.

New arrivals Edin Dzeko, Iago Falque, Mohamed Salah and Wojciech Szczesny all made their Serie A debuts for the visitors. And Dzeko produced a lively performance up front, while Szczesny at times kept his side in the game with a string of fine saves.

On a warm night at the Stadio Bentegodi, it was the hosts who looked the better side for much of the first half.

Juan Gomez Taleb fired an early warning shot with a well-struck curling effort before Verona came close to breaking the deadlock twice in as many minutes.

Only a fine fingertip save from Szczesny kept Samuel Souprayen out after he had been played in down the left by Emil Hallfredsson and then Daniele De Rossi was on hand to clear a Bosko Jankovic header off the line.

Roma's best chances of the opening period, meanwhile, fell to Dzeko, who was narrowly off target with an angled volley after 17 minutes, and Belgian international Radja Nainggolan, who forced a decent save from Rafael.

Verona continued to look more threatening after the break, Szczesny forced to deny Hallfredsson and Taleb in quick succession before the home side's pressure finally told on the hour mark.

The lively Hallfredsson provided the cross and Jankovic was on hand at the far post to steer the ball home.

Within five minutes, however, the visitors were back on level terms courtesy of a long-range strike from Florenzi that Rafael really should have saved.

That equaliser seemed to lift Rudi Garcia's men, who seized the initiative in the final quarter and came close to snatching a winner in the dying seconds when Rafael pulled off a superb point-blank save to foil Miralem Pjanic.

And there was still time for Rafael to produce yet more heroics, keeping out a Nainggolan header and ensuring that the hosts emerged with a well-deserved point.

 

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'Buffon the best of goalkeeper of his generation - but not Italy's No.1'

Stefano Tacconi believes that while Gianluigi Buffon is the greatest goalkeeper of his generation, the Juventus captain should not be regarded as Italy's all-time No.1.

Since making his Serie A debut as a 17-year-old with Parma, Buffon has proven himself one of the finest shot-stoppers of the modern era.

Indeed, his €32 million move to Juventus in 2002 remains a record for a goalkeeper, while the only goals he conceded during Italy's World Cup triumph in 2006 were an own goal and a penalty.

At 37, he shows no sign of slowing down, having helped Juve reach the final of last season's Champions League, where the Bianconeri were beaten 3-1 but through no fault of Buffon, who pulled off a stunning save from Dani Alves while the Scudetto holders were struggling during the first half.

However, Tacconi nonetheless feels that Buffon still has some way to go to surpass their fellow Juve alumni, Dino Zoff, who lifted the World Cup as Italy captain in 1982.

"Is Gigi the best in Italian history?" the 52-year-old muses during an exclusive interview with Goal. "No, but he is the best of his generation.

"For the greatest, there's [Dino] Zoff. And even during my era there was [Walter] Zenga, and then [Angelo] Peruzzi.

"But Buffon is a great goalkeeper. He has done great things and he's the best of his generation.

"And he could still be like Zoff: he could play in the World Cup in 40. He is still in shape and playing well. I certainly hope he makes it to Russia.

"I also wanted him to win the Champions League last season. That would have been perfect for him and his career. He deserved it.

"But now we don't know if he will get another chance because there are so many great teams in Europe. It will be difficult for Juve to reach the final again."

Buffon, of course, faces fresh competition for his starting berth, with Juve having picked up Neto on a free transfer during the summer, after the expiration of the Brazilian's contract with Fiorentina.

Tacconi liked what he saw of Neto during his four-year stay at the Stadio Artemio Franchi but feels that the 26-year-old must now prove his worth all over again.

"Neto is a good goalkeeper. But he will need to show character at Juve," the ex-Azzurri shot-stopper added. "He did well at Fiorentina but Juve are different.

"He will have to wait for his opportunities because Buffon is ahead of him and is showing few signs of ageing. Therefore, Neto must be patient.

"Then, he must also adapt to the pressure of playing for Juventus, which is never easy. Players must have a strong mentality to play for Juve."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Official: Chelsea sign Kenedy from Fluminense

Chelsea have confirmed they have completed the signing of Brazilian youngster Kenedy from Fluminense.

The 19-year-old has already featured for the Blues having joined up with Jose Mourinho's side on their pre-season tour of the United States and playing in the friendly against Barcelona in Washington.

Kenedy will wear the No.16 shirt at Stamford Bridge and says he is looking forward to making at impact for the Blues.

"I am very happy to complete my transfer to Chelsea," he told the club's official website.

"It is an exciting time for me to join the English Premier League champions and I hope I can become an important player for the club.

"I very much enjoyed my time with the squad during pre-season and I am very grateful to Fluminense for allowing me this opportunity."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Benatia blow for Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich look set to be without Medhi Benatia for next weekend's Bundesliga showdown with Bayer Leverkusen.

The Moroccan centre-back limped off 36 minutes into the first half of Saturday's 2-1 win over Hoffenheim with a suspected thigh injury and was promptly replaced by Rafinha.

Bayern have yet to confirm the exact nature of the injury but sporting director Matthias Sammer admitted that the early prognosis does not look good.

"We think it's a muscular problem and I don't think it's just a minor injury," the ex-Germany international is quoted as saying by Abendzeitung Munchen.

If that is the case, Benatia will definitely miss next Saturday's visit of Leverkusen, who finished third in last season's Bundesliga.

The unavailability of the former Roma man would represent a major defensive headache for coach Pep Guardiola, as the 28-year-old's fellow centre-half Jerome Boateng was sent off in the 2-1 win at Hoffenheim.

Bayern had found themselves a goal down after just nine seconds of play in their second Bundesliga outing of the new season, with Kevin Volland opening the scoring for the home side.

However, the German champions deservedly levelled through Thomas Muller just before the break and then maintained their 100 per cent record thanks to Robert Lewandowski's last-minute goal.

Sammer admitted afterwards that Bayern are currently struggling to reproduce their very best form, but suggested no new players will be signed before the close of the transfer window.

"The team has seen today how hard it is going to be in the Bundesliga this season," Sammer added. "We still need to find our rhythm with each other.

"We're still lacking in some areas but the mentality is right. We need to show more cohesion.

"In the transfer window, everything is always possible because it is by nature so irrational. But we are not anxious to change anything too much as our squad is still great."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Atletico Madrid 1-0 Las Palmas: Griezmann the difference against La Liga new boys

Antoine Griezmann's first-half goal ensured Atletico Madrid made a winning start to the new La Liga season as they defeated Las Palmas 1-0 at the Vicente Calderon.

Diego Simeone handed a debut to new recruit Jackson Martinez, but the Colombian struggled to threaten the goal in almost an hour on the pitch.

Instead it was left to one of last season's leading lights, Griezmann, to settle the contest, though there was a large element of luck as the Frenchman's deflected effort secured three points.

The result capped a positive week for Atletico which also saw key defender Diego Godin sign a one-year contract extension.

However, Simeone will have concerns about his side's inability to kill the game off, with Las Palmas seeing a string of late chances repelled by the excellent Jan Oblak in Atleti's goal.

Expected to dominate against newly promoted opposition, Atleti created two chances in the opening five minutes.

First, Griezmann flashed a snap-shot narrowly wide before Tiago climbed highest to meet a Juanfran cross from the right, but failed to direct his header on target.

An opening goal for the hosts seemed inevitable as they continued to pile on the pressure and it duly arrived in the 16th minute when Griezmann's 22-yard free kick deflected off the wall and left Las Palmas goalkeeper Raul Lizoain flatfooted.

Las Palmas refused to crumble after that early setback and although an off-target, long-range effort from Roque Mesa was all they could manage going forward, they defended stoutly, with Lizoain producing a fine save to deny the lively Griezmann in first-half stoppage-time.

Returning left-back Filipe Luis had been a constant threat for Atleti during the opening period and he continued to torment the Las Palmas defence after the break, whipping in a superb cross on 55 minutes which the onrushing Martinez was just unable to slide into the net.

The Brazilian neglected his defensive duties moments later, however, failing to mark David Simon at a set-piece and allowing the defender a free header which grazed the crossbar as the visitors gathered momentum.

And Simeone's men enjoyed another let-off in the 74th minute when Oblak pulled off a magnificent save low to his right to keep out a close-range effort from Aythami.

The altogether busier Lizoain then matched Oblak at the other end by keeping out a ferocious angled strike from Filipe as Atleti continued to press for a second goal right to the final whistle, while Koke clipped the post with a free kick in the final minute of normal time.

Next up for the men from the capital is a tricky trip to Sevilla, while Las Palmas will hope to pick up their first points of the season when they host Levante.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

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