..::Football III::..

[Wolverine GTR]

PSV defeat a big wake-up call for Van Gaal, says Yorke

Manchester United's Champions League defeat to PSV will be a big wake-up call for Louis van Gaal and his players, according to Dwight Yorke.

United led in the Netherlands after an impressive opening goal from Memphis Depay against his old club, but their night took a turn for the worse when Luke Shaw suffered a double leg fracture.

On the stroke of half-time Hector Moreno levelled with a deflected header and the visitors' misery was compounded as Luciano Narsingh headed PSV in front.Former United striker Yorke felt the result was harsh on Van Gaal's side but said they must start turning their dominance into results.

"I think they played well enough to certainly come away with a result," he told Sky Sports.

"I am sure this will be a massive blow to the United players. This will probably be a wake-up call. "To dominate the game for such a long period of time and to not have taken the opportunity and let PSV back into the game, they will be absolutely devastated.

"Call it naive but at this level you cannot afford to make the mistakes they have made and they paid the price. At this level of the competition you need to take your opportunities and they haven't been able to do that.

"United dominated from start to finish and with the ball possession stats I have in front of me they have done enough to come away with a point. To come away with nothing at all that will be a double blow along with losing Luke Shaw."If you look at Van Gaal's record at PSV it is not one that he is very proud of and that seems to have continued.

"Sometimes managers have that sort of record when they go to a certain stadium. Whatever they do they can't seem to come away with a result."

 

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Pressure is building on Liverpool, admits Coutinho

Liverpool star Philippe Coutinho admits the pressure on the club is building following their disappointing recent form.

Brendan Rodgers' side followed a shock 3-0 home defeat to West Ham with a 3-1 loss to fierce rivals Manchester United at the weekend.

And Coutinho - who missed the United game through suspension - is aware of the importance of bouncing back quickly, starting with the Europa League clash with Bordeaux on Thursday.

"It's a very important game as it's our first in the Europa League," he told Liverpool's official website.

"We know how important it is to have a good start in a competition like this and everyone's focused on doing well in this game.

"After two consecutive defeats, we're conscious there's going to be more pressure from the outside - we have to do things right on the pitch so we can achieve good results."

Despite having earned just seven points from their opening five league games, Coutinho insists it is far too early to begin writing off Liverpool's season in its entirety.

"It is vital to stay calm, mainly because we are just at the beginning in all competitions," said the Brazil international.

"We have a long season ahead and many things can happen. The Premier League is tough - all clubs have great teams - and we know twists and turns will happen.

"We have to not only remain calm but also to work hard to achieve what we want on the pitch.

"It feels bad to be out and not being available to be selected and help the team but we have to look ahead now and get over these two recent games we lost.

"There are lessons to be learned so we can move on and avoid making the same mistakes. We have a great team here and we know we can improve - and that's what we're trying to do right now."

 

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Manchester City will never be as big as Manchester United, says Gill

Former Manchester United chief executive David Gill believes Manchester City will never have the international appeal of the Old Trafford club.

City have become a force to be reckoned with in English football again in recent years, winning two Premier League titles in the last four seasons.

Nevertheless, Gill has stressed that their lack of history and heritage is holding them back on international markets.

"I’m not being arrogant here but it will never be as big as Manchester United in Asia and certain markets," Gill was quoted as saying by The Telegraph.

"Look at Liverpool, the club haven't won the league for so many years, but they are very popular in Asia.

"The big teams with history and heritage, like Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Juventus and Real Madrid, have that."

Nevertheless, Gill was quick to praise Sheikh Mansour for the way he has made an impact at City and he feels the club is very well run.

"They made mistakes but they now have a very good team and you can’t argue with that," he added. "I think you also have to give credit to their vision, so to speak.

"What they've done in conjunction with the Manchester city council in east Manchester is fantastic. If Sheikh Mansour decided he wanted to sell the club tomorrow, what he's left there, in terms of the development of that whole area, is unbelievable and is great testament to what they have done.

"Clearly, they have raised their game and it is a very well run club. It's very exciting for the Premier League. They will, without a doubt, be a long-term player and a force to be reckoned with for many years.

"And I think Manchester United have got to respond to that as well as other clubs."

 

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Manchester United a 'perfect fit' - Schweinsteiger

Manchester United midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger has described the Old Trafford club as a "perfect fit" following his move from Bayern Munich .

The Germany midfielder has experienced a mixed start to his Old Trafford career, starting in the disappointing 2-1 Champions League defeat to PSV on Tuesday, but also featuring in the Premier League win over Liverpool on Saturday.

Schweinsteiger, a legend at the Munich club, says he moved to Manchester ahead of the 2015/16 season, seeking a new challenge and a new footballing culture.

"I felt within myself that I needed to change what I was doing,” the 31-year-old told Die Zeit . “I needed a new stimuli.

“So the interest from Manchester United was a perfect fit.”

Born in Bavaria, Schweinsteiger holds a personal affinity with Bayern, and says he still owes the fans a proper farewell.

“I would like to say goodbye properly,” the Germany midfielder continued.

“There was the season’s opening ceremony at the stadium, but I didn’t want to stand there in the Bayern jersey, waving to the fans, then a few hours later say: ‘That was nice, but I’m off to England.’

“Because I have a good relationship with the Bayern fans, that’s why I left it the way I did."

However, Schweinsteiger also left to door open to a possible return to Bavaria, whether as a player, coach or fan.

"But perhaps a day will come when I’ll return to the stadium," he concluded.

 

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Messi becomes youngest Champions League centurion

Lionel Messi has started Barcelona's clash with Roma on Wednesday to become the youngest-ever footballer to play 100 Champions League games.

The Argentine joins an illustrious list of names - 33, in all - who have hit triple digits in terms of Champions League appearances, including qualification matches.

Luis Enrique selected Messi in his line-up for their first Champions League game of the season, with the 28-year-old forward having scored the winner on Saturday when the reigning Spanish champions saw off Atletico Madrid 2-1 in La Liga.

After beating Juventus in last season's final, Barca start the defence of their European crown at Rome's Stadio Olimpico, where they beat Manchester United in the 2009 showpiece.

The record for caps in the competition is held by Messi's former Camp Nou team-mate Xavi, who racked up 157 showings (including qualifiers) in the competition he won four times before departing for Qatar this summer.

In terms of non-qualifying matches, Porto goalkeeper Iker Casillas moved level with Xavi on 151 games on Wednesday night.

Messi's Real Madrid adversary Cristiano Ronaldo, 30, has featured in 120 games to date (including qualifiers) having debuted in the competition two years earlier than the Argentine ace.

 

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Lloris demands more from Tottenham in Europa League

Tottenham captain Hugo Lloris has called on his team-mates to up their game as they prepare to begin their Europa League campaign on Thursday.

Spurs bagged a first Premier League win of the season on Sunday as they edged past Sunderland 1-0 at the Stadium of Light to follow three consecutive draws and a defeat to Manchester United.

And Lloris is determined to secure three points from their opening group game against Qarabag as they aim to build some momentum.
"I think European competition is always important when you are a player," the France international told reporters.

"Each game is important and we know tomorrow we need a first win because the next two games are away against very good teams in Anderlecht and Monaco.

"We expect a tough game because European competition is always hard so we need to be focused and have the mentality of winning.

"I expect more from Tottenham and I expect more from me as well. We need to go as far as possible in the competition.

"We know what is expected from the manager and what we have to do. We need to be 100 per cent focused for Tottenham.

"We know it is a trophy to get and you play only to win. There is also a possibility to get to the Champions League if you go to the final and win the final. It is so far away that we are focused on the group stage and the target is to finish first."

Having claimed earlier this week that he is happy to have spurned interest from Manchester United in favour of staying with Tottenham, Lloris was once again adamant that he has no regrets over continuing with Mauricio Pochettino's side.

"I am happy with Tottenham. I already replied to that type of question. The only thing I can say is I am happy with Tottenham and will do my best to get the best results possible," he added.

"I do not talk about my future or my past, I am just focused on the game tomorrow and the Premier League as well. There are a lot of competitions for me to play. I am happy to be at Tottenham and their captain."

 

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Rodgers not feeling the pressure at Liverpool

Brendan Rodgers says he is not feeling more pressure than usual following Liverpool 's stuttering start to the new Premier League season.

The Reds have taken just seven points from a possible 15 so far, losing their last two outings against West Ham and bitter rivals Manchester United.

Despite those losses, Rodgers insists that he does not feel any different, and has reminded critics that Liverpool still have new players settling into the club.

"It's [the pressure] the same as it ever was," Rodgers told reporters. "I don't think it has increased. It's pressure that comes from managing a huge club.

"Nothing has changed in that way. I just need to concentrate on getting the team right. We are only a few points off where we want to be in the league.

"The pressure is always here, it's part and parcel of being the manager at such a huge club.

"There is a long way to go. Players are still settling in. There's been a big transformation. I need to integrate that back in and get us back to an exciting way of working.

"My vision of the game and the model of how I work is pretty clear really.

"We need to get back to playing that way. We are working hard to reinforce the principles of how we have worked successfully here."

However, Rodgers was quick to warn his players that recent performances have not been good enough.

He added: "You can lose games, but it's how you lose them. The last couple of defeats is not how you want to lose a game of football.

"We have seen in last few performances, when we don't play well it gives us far less chance of winning.

"We need to get back to a way of playing. We have an inherent belief that if we get back to that level we will get results."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Bayer Leverkusen 4-1 BATE Borisov: Chicarito nets on European debut as Germans cruise to victory

Former Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez scored his first Bayer Leverkusen goal as Roger Schmidt's men beat BATE Borisov 4-1 in Champions League Group E.

The Mexico forward fired home Leverkusen's third just prior to the hour-mark, though the hosts had been largely frustrated throughout the opening half at the BayArena.

Having a third-minute lead through Admir Mehmedi's precise toe-poke, Leverkusen were pegged back by Nemanja Milunovic's header 10 minutes later.

Though Medmedi did squander a gilt-edged chance for a second, Leverkusen were sluggish in possession and BATE were worthy of being level at the break.

But Leverkusen – playing Belarusian opposition for the first time – reclaimed the lead through Hakan Calhanoglu's fortuitous goal two minutes after the restart, before Hernandez's strike put them in complete control.

Calhanoglu converted from the penalty spot with 15 minutes remaining to put the result beyond all doubt and ensure that Leverkusen got their third consecutive Champions League campaign off to a winning start.

Making his full Leverkusen debut, Hernandez was the instigator as Schmidt's side went ahead, Illya Aleksievich failing to clear from the Mexican's cross and Mehmedi reacting first to prod home into the top-left corner.

Hernandez went agonisingly close to extending Leverkusen's lead soon after, the former Manchester United man just inches away from connecting with Kevin Kampl's low cross.

However, BATE drew level in the 13th minute when poor marking allowed Milunovic a free header from Igor Stasevich's corner – the Serbian defender's effort deflecting in off Roberto Hilbert.

Mehmedi should have had another shortly before the half-hour mark, but the Switzerland international drilled wide of the right-hand upright after being played in by Karim Bellarabi.

Jonathan Tah was the next to go close for the hosts, but the youngster could only fire high over the crossbar from 10 yards out.

Leverkusen started the second half in a similar vein to how they began the first and were quickly rewarded as Calhanoglu's strike took a wicked deflection off Dzianis Paliakou and looped into the net.

Goalkeeper Sergey Chernik then had to be alert to prevent Hernandez tapping in from Bellarabi's cross.

But Hernandez made amends for the miss in the 58th minute, running onto Kampl's throughball before slotting it between Chernik's legs to nudge Leverkusen further ahead.

And the Bundesliga side wrapped up a comfortable three points when Calhanoglu finished from the spot after Filip Mladenovic had handled in the box.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Chicha score karala

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Olympiacos 0-3 Bayern Munich: Muller bags brace in second half rout

Bayern Munich kicked off their Champions League campaign with a 3-0 win versus Olympiacos at the Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus.

The Greek champions started the match the better side of the two, but failed to beat Manuel Neuer despite creating a number of dangerous moments.

Pep Guardiola's side threatened via Robert Lewandowski and Xabi Alonso before the break, yet also to no avail as home goalkeeper Roberto proved to be too much of an obstacle.

In-form Thomas Muller eventually opened the scoring with a cross that deceived Roberto shortly after the interval.

Guardiola cut a frustrated figure as his side initially failed to add to their tally, but Mario Gotze popped up in stoppage time to secure the points before Muller made it three from the spot, while Dinamo Zagreb's 2-1 win over Arsenal already puts Bayern top of the group.

Olympiacos did well to keep Bayern at bay in the opening stages of the game and looked the most dangerous of the two early on.

Neuer was forced into making a save for the first time after eight minutes of play, yet Pajtim Kasami's header after Alejandro Dominguez lacked the power to really trouble the Germany goalkeeper.

Bayern genuinely threatened for the first time after 26 minutes of play via Lewandowski. Alonso set up the Poland international with a fine free-kick, yet the striker's attempt was kept out by Roberto and Brown Ideye.

The Bundesliga champions then came close to breaking the deadlock a number of times within the space of minutes.

Muller first set up Douglas Costa in a dangerous position, but the Brazil international was denied by Roberto. Costa then found Lewandowski with a good cross, yet the striker's effort was scrambled off the line.

Finally, Muller went for goal himself, only for Roberto to once more show his class with a sublime save.

An opportunistic attempt from Alonso in the closing stages of the first half went inches wide as it remained scoreless at half-time.

Bayern started the second half superbly and broke the deadlock in the 52nd minute, albeit in somewhat fortunate fashion. Muller sent in a cross from the right wing toward the back post and Roberto misjudged the flight of the ball as it sailed home.

Olympiacos nearly immediately hit back, yet Ideye's powerful shot from the edge of the area after good work from Omar Elabdellaoui ended up in Neuer's arms as the chance went begging.

Leandro Salino came close to frustrating Bayern with seven more minutes on the clock after Ideye beat Jerome Boateng in the air, but the Brazilian just missed the target. Gotze then ended the hosts' hopes of salvaging a draw when he made it two in the dying minutes of the game after good work from substitute Kingsley Coman.

Muller poured even more salt in Olympiacos' wounds in stoppage time when he converted a penalty after Arthur Masuaku had fouled Coman inside the area.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Dinamo Zagreb 2-1 Arsenal: Giroud red card leaves Gunners in lurch

Arsenal slipped to a disappointing 2-1 Champions League defeat as Olivier Giroud saw red and Dinamo Zagreb recorded their first win in the group stages of the competition for nearly 16 years.

Not since a 3-0 victory over Sturm Graz in September 1999 had the Croatian outfit tasted success at this stage, but Junior Fernandes grabbed the decisive goal to see off the threat of Arsene Wenger's side in Group F.

The visitors were left to rue a host of spurned chances in the first half in Zagreb, before Josip Pivaric's shot hit Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain on its way past David Ospina to open the scoring.

Giroud, who had been particularly wasteful in front of goal, was then sent off by referee Ovidiu Hategan for a second bookable offence just before the break, adding to Arsenal's woes.

More Dinamo pressure eventually brought a second goal as Fernandes sent a bullet header past Ospina just before the hour.

Arsenal's attempts to find a way back into the clash brought a consolation from Theo Walcott, but Dinamo clung on to extend their unbeaten run in all competitions to 42 matches.

The visitors dominated the opening stages and Giroud – one of six Arsenal changes from Saturday's Premier League win over Stoke City – was gifted a glorious chance after nine minutes, but saw his flicked header superbly saved by Eduardo.

Opportunities continued to come for Arsenal and Giroud was again wasteful after 18 minutes, the France international heading against the post before somehow failing to convert the rebound from close range.

And he was made to rue those misses as Dinamo took the lead midway through the half.

A counter-attack from the hosts saw El Arabi Soudani release Pivaric behind the Arsenal defence and, while his effort was saved by Ospina, the loose ball ricocheted into the net off Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Giroud's miserable half ended with his dismissal five minutes before the interval as he swung a leg at Ivo Pinto, the striker catching his man and earning a second booking having earlier seeing yellow for dissent following a clumsy challenge on Domagoj Antolic.

Wenger's side could have been in further trouble soon after the restart as Soudani was given acres of space in the six-yard box, only to see his header thud into Ospina's right-hand post.

Mesut Ozil had an equaliser disallowed for offside in the 54th minute and soon after Dinamo doubled their advantage, Fernandes rising at the near post to head home Paulo Machado's corner.

A late surge from Arsenal saw Alexis Sanchez and substitute Walcott go close and the latter was able to pull a goal back with a composed finish 12 minutes from time.

However, even five minutes of stoppage time was not enough for the visitors and they were grateful to Ospina for a late save to stop Leonardo Sigali extending Dinamo's winning margin.

 

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Giroud red neh​

 

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Dynamo Kyiv 2-2 Porto: Buyalsky steals a point after Aboubakar brace

Substitute Vitaliy Buyalskyy scored a late equaliser to give Dynamo Kiev a valuable point from a 2-2 draw with Porto on their return to the Champions League group stage after more than two years.

Sergiy Rebrov's men were headed for defeat after Vincent Aboubakar scored in either half to give Porto a 2-1 lead, but Buyalskyy arrived at the finish to rescue his side.

Two goals in three first-half minutes saw an entertaining contest burst into life, with Oleh Gusev opening the scoring for Dynamo after a brilliant team move that tore the visitors' defence apart.

But Porto rallied immediately and equalised with a goal of equal quality when Aboubakar converted Miguel Layun's cross.

The forward struck again nine minutes from time after goalkeeper Oleksandr Rybka had failed to connect with a cross that he should have cleared.

But Buyalskyy saved the day for Dynamo, and the home side might even have won it as they pressed for another goal in the closing seconds.

Though Porto dominated much of the contest, the hosts made the brighter start, with Yevhen Khacheridi heading over from close range in the early exchanges.

Iker Casillas, who joined fellow Spaniard Xavi on a record 151 Champions League appearances on his Porto debut in the competition, almost cost his side when he dropped a high ball and had to brave a goalmouth scramble to clear his lines.

The first goal arrived in the 20th minute, following a sweeping Dynamo move that must have delighted Rebrov.

A neat exchange of passes on the halfway line released Denys Garmash, who raced away and whipped a ball into the penalty area, just beyond the reach of Miguel Veloso but straight to the feet of Gusev, who gave Casillas no chance with his finish.

Less than three minutes later, Porto provided the perfect response. Layun broke down the right and skipped over the challenge of Derlis Gonzalez before sending a perfect, curling cross onto the head of the unmarked Aboubakar, who duly despatched the ball into the net.

Gusev and Gonzalez swapped wings after the break as Dynamo looked to get in behind Porto's impressive full-back pairing of Layun and Maxi Pereira.

But it was the visitors who looked more likely to take the lead, as Sergiy Rybalka brought down Yacine Brahimi on the edge of the box and Maicon blasted a free-kick not far wide of Rybka's goal.

Rybka went from hero to villain with 10 minutes left to play, tipping over a rasping shot from substitute Jesus Corona, before failing to connect with Pereira's cross from a half-cleared corner that Aboubakar happily slammed into the gaping net.

But there was more drama to come at the other end, where Rybalak's free-kick bounced into the box with two men in an offside position, but the referee waved play on and Buyalskyy was unchallenged as he headed home the equaliser.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Chelsea 4-0 Maccabi Tel Aviv: Hazard penalty miss can't stop Blues battering

Chelsea put aside slumping Premier League fortunes by beginning their Champions League campaign with a comfortable 4-0 win over Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Willian, Oscar, Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas grabbed the goals as the hosts eased to three Group G points at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.

Chelsea headed into the fixture on the back of collecting just four points from their opening five Premier League fixtures this season.

Eden Hazard has come under scrutiny following that below-par run of results, and his night started in similarly frustrating fashion when he blazed a penalty way over the crossbar in the sixth minute.

Jose Mourinho's men responded strongly, with the impressive Willian opening the scoring before being withdrawn with a hamstring injury.

But his replacement quickly picked up the baton, Costa winning a penalty that Oscar converted before netting himself.

And the scoring was wrapped up in the 78th minute, Fabregas completing a good night's work by slotting into an empty net.

Chelsea's poor form did not have an immediate impact as they started impressively. Fabregas freed Willian with a pin-point throughball, only for the winger to be brought down by onrushing goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic.

Having been fortunate to avoid a red card, Rajkovic was thanking his luck again when Hazard missed the target.

Undeterred, Chelsea continued to press forward and took the lead after 15 minutes.

Willian sent a perfect curling set-piece towards the back post and Rajkovic, stuck anticipating if somebody would touch it, could do little as the ball evaded everyone and flew into the top corner.

The Brazilian's impressive display lasted just 23 minutes, however, as he was sustained a muscle problem.

And Chelsea were almost caught cold as the visitors spurned a glorious chance to equalise.

Nikola Mitrovic delivered a pin-point set-piece and the prolific Eran Zahavi could only head over Asmir Begovic's crossbar.

That miss proved costly as the hosts were awarded another spot kick just before half-time, Costa going down easily under a challenge from former Chelsea defender Tal Ben Haim.

Oscar did not make the same mistake as Hazard when sending Rajkovic the wrong way.

The Premier League champions quickly picked up where they left off after the break, with Costa adding another in the 58th minute.

Oscar deserved much of the credit, his clever run meaning Fabregas' cross found Costa, who hammered an unstoppable shot into the net.

Chelsea opted for a more controlled approach thereafter, knocking the ball around confidently in a manner that belied the pre-match talk of decline.

A fourth goal still came, though, as Fabregas capped the performance when tapping home the rebound after Loic Remy had been denied by Rajkovic.

 

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Gent 1-1 Lyon: Lacazette misses late penalty as Fournier's men frustrated

Lyon were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw in their Champions League opener in Gent with Alexandre Lacazette missing a late chance to win the game, seeing his 88th minute penalty saved by goalkeeper Matz Sels.
Half-time substitute Christophe Jallet headed the visitors in front just before the hour, after Gent's Brecht Dejaegere was handed a straight red card for a lunge on Maxime Gonalons prior to half-time.

Defeat would have been harsh on Gent, who saw Laurent Depoitre crash an effort against the crossbar during an energetic first half.

The industry of the hosts failed to subside after going behind and Gent, appearing in the tournament proper for the first time, were rewarded midway through the second half when Danijel Milicevic slotted home.

Lyon, coming off the back of a drab 0-0 draw with Lille at the weekend, once again missed the attacking talents of Nabil Fekir, with Lacazette, who missed the last-minute spot-kick that saw Thomas Foket dismissed for conceding, still searching for his first goal of the season.

In contrast, Gent will take plenty of heart from this performance, as they seek to upset the odds and become the first Belgian side to qualify for the knockout stages.

Roared on by the home faithful, it was Gent who started the brighter, fashioning the first chance inside two minutes when a neat move allowed Moses Simon to feed Depoitre inside the area, but his angled shot was well saved by goalkeeper Anthony Lopes.

The Belgian striker came close again eight minutes later, bursting through the heart of the defence before driving a stinging effort against the woodwork.

Lyon struggled to match the energy of Hein Vanhaezebrouck's men and Depoitre thought he had made it third time lucky when he tapped home Thomas Foket's inch-perfect cross after 25 minutes, but was rightfully flagged for offside.

Lacazette did his best to spearhead a Lyon response just after the half-hour mark, beating his man on the edge of the box before calling Sels into action with a venomous low effort.

That was as close as Lyon came, but Gent's bright start threatened to unravel when Dejaegere received a straight red for a high foot on Gonalons just before the break.

Lyon nearly capitalised on their numerical advantage three minutes after the break, with Lacazette twisting and turning inside the box before seeing a bending effort tipped round the post by Sels.

But Sels was picking the ball out of his net just before the hour when Jallet shook off his man to divert a glancing header home from Mathieu Valbuena's corner.

That goal looked to have opened the floodgates, with Lacazette seeing a header chalked off for offside.

But Gent battled on and were rewarded for their tenacity after 68 minutes when Milicevic latched on to a superb throughball from Sven Kums to fire home.

Valbuena linked up with Jallet again 15 minutes from time, with the former heading an excellent cross into the area just wide.

Lyon were handed a golden opportunity at the death when Foket brought down substitute Aldo Kalulu in the area, which saw the winger handed his marching orders, but Lacazette saw his resulting penalty parried away by Sels as Gent secured a memorable point.

 

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Roma 1-1 Barcelona: Florenzi stunner denies Champions League holders

Lionel Messi failed to mark his 100th Champions League appearance with a goal as he was overshadowed by a stunning strike from Alessandro Florenzi that earned Roma a 1-1 draw with holders Barcelona.

Argentine Messi - who had come off the bench to score the winner against Atletico Madrid at the weekend - struck the crossbar in a second half that his side controlled throughout.

However, both goals came in the opening 45 minutes of the Group E clash at the Stadio Olimpico, with Florenzi's 50-metre wonder strike stealing all the headlines.

Barca had taken the lead when Luis Suarez nodded home from close range. But Roma pegged back their opponents 10 minutes later when winger Florenzi embarrassed goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen with a long-range lob that was struck from close to the touchline.

Florenzi's strike denied Barca manager Luis Enrique a winning return to one of his former employers – he spent the 2011-12 season in charge of Roma before stepping down.

Following a high-tempo start, the Spaniards were rewarded with the opener midway through the first period, as they got the defence of their title up and running.

They took the lead after 21 minutes when Ivan Rakitic was given time and space on the right wing to pick out Suarez at the far post, though the Croatian's cross needed a slight deflection off a Roma defender to reach its intended target.

The home side were not happy the goal was allowed to stand, believing Messi had fouled Lucas Digne to allow a long pass to reach Rakitic.

But, the officials came to Roma's rescue shortly afterwards when Suarez threatened to get in behind the home defence. Goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny raced from his line to try and deal with the danger, but he was beaten to the ball by the Uruguay striker, who then crumpled to the floor under the challenge.

Referee Bjorn Kuipers dismissed the strong calls for a penalty, instead awarding a goal kick to Roma. The Italians made the most of the reprieve courtesy of Florenzi’s spectacular equaliser after 31 minutes.

It seemed there was little danger for Barcelona as the winger made ground down the right flank around 50 metres from goal. But, Florenzi had spotted Ter Stegen off his line and audaciously attempted a lob that sailed over the goalkeeper's head and found the far corner.

Szczesny had to be sharp straight after the break to deny Messi celebrating his milestone in style, though the Polish goalkeeper's evening ended early after he hurt his arm in a collision with Suarez and was forced off.

Still, that early chance set the tone for the rest of the half.

Barcelona - who lost substitute Rafinha to a leg injury within a minute of his introduction - dominated both possession and territory during the second period.

Replacement Roma goalkeeper Morgan De Sanctis had to be alert to prevent an effort from Andres Iniesta creeping in from a tight angle, though he needed the woodwork to deny Messi marking his momentous night with a late winner.

The Argentine ran through and lifted the ball over the goalkeeper, but his effort agonisingly clipped the top of the crossbar.

De Sanctis also required fellow substitute Vasilis Torosidis to hook away Jordi Alba's volley in a frantic finale as the Serie A side survived the Barcelona onslaught.

 

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Florenzi ge long range goal 1ka patta​

 

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Valencia 2-3 Zenit: Hulk & Axel Witsel win Mestalla thriller

Axel Witsel's late effort left Valencia's determined fightback in vain as the Belgian secured a 3-2 Champions League win for Zenit at the Mestalla on Wednesday.
After falling 2-0 down before the break thanks to a brilliant Hulk double, Valencia battled back in the second period and restored parity, only for Witsel to leave the hosts ruing their defensive naivety in their Group H opener.

The hosts endured their first taste of frustration after just two minutes, as Joao Cancelo saw his attempt come back off the post and Hulk capitalised shortly after with a neat finish.

A trademark Hulk screamer just before the break doubled the visitors' lead, but Witsel inadvertently diverted a Cancelo cross past his own goalkeeper early in the second period to give Valencia encouragement.

Andre Villas-Boas' men were forced to withstand intense pressure after that goal and half-time substitute Andre Gomes netted a deserved equaliser for Valencia in the 73rd minute.

But Zenit had the last laugh, as Witsel fired a low drive inside the post from distance just three minutes later, leaving Valencia despondent upon their return to Europe's elite competition.

Fresh from clinching their first win of the season against Sporting Gijon at the weekend, Valencia looked full of confidence early on, with Sofiane Feghouli finding joy against left-back Domenico Criscito.

Valencia's first chance unsurprisingly came down that very same flank, but it was right-back Cancelo who went close, sending a low 25-yard effort against the post in the second minute.

Zenit had no such misfortune seven minutes later, though, as Danny led a breakaway and fed Hulk into the left side of the area, with the Brazilian duly applying a powerful finish across Jaume Domenech to open the scoring.

The home side continued to dominate despite falling behind, but clear-cut opportunities were something of a rarity, as inaccurate crosses and blocked shots started to frustrate fans.

Valencia eventually tested Yuri Lodygin two minutes before the break, but the Russian goalkeeper held on to Dani Parejo's header.

And Zenit capitalised shortly after, as Artem Dzyuba knocked down a lofted pass from the back and Hulk subsequently blasted into the roof of the net in emphatic fashion from 30 yards.

Nuno Espirito Santo introduced Paco Alcacer and Gomes at the break, but it was the lively Cancelo who helped pull one back for the hosts in the 54th minute, as Lodygin was inexplicably beaten at his near post by the full-back's cross which took a wicked deflection off Witsel.

Spurred on by the goal, Valencia's dominance only became greater and Parejo went agonisingly close to levelling in the 63rd minute, sending a half-volley just wide from the edge of the area.The equaliser did eventually arrive courtesy of Gomes, however, as the Portuguese midfielder skipped past one tackle and then beat the suspect Lodygin from a tight angle.

But Witsel bailed his goalkeeper out a few minutes later, finding the left-hand corner from 25 yards to secure a battling win for Zenit.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Wenger's had a shocker! Giroud stupidity costs Arsenal as rotation gambles backfire

Arsene Wenger has rarely rested players in the Champions League - and if he has any sense he will never try it again after the experiment spectacularly backfired in Arsenal's 2-1 defeat to Dinamo Zagreb.

The Gunners made six changes to the side that cruised past Stoke at the weekend.

The result? A humbling, morale-sapping defeat and several exhausted players after Olivier Giroud's stupidity forced them to play with 10 men for more than 50 minutes.

Wenger sent his team out in anticipation of a comfortable win and with one eye on Saturday lunchtime's huge Premier League game against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

He didn't get what he was looking for. Wenger wanted to show the strength of the Arsenal squad, instead questions will again be asked about what he thought the club could achieve this season after neglecting to sign any outfield players in the summer transfer window.

Arsenal and Wenger never learn and they are already looking at a Groundhog Day scenario. The Londoners will still fancy their chances of sneaking into second place in Group F but, even then, an inevitable last 16 defeat against a top side awaits.

Arsenal did not lose just because of Giroud's idiotic red card for two bookings, but it summed up their evening.

The first was given for an act of dissent, the second for a rash swing of his left foot that caught Ivo Pinto instead of the ball.

It was the kind of accuracy the Frenchman had shown earlier in the half when he managed to shoot straight at the goalkeeper's legs from a yard out.

Giroud cost Arsenal dearly and showed why Wenger was so keen to sign a top class striker over the summer.

But let's not forget that by the time the Frenchman trudged off the pitch, Arsenal were already 1-0 down to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's own goal after some abysmal defending.

In the 58th minute, Junior Fernandes made it two with a simple header from a corner and Arsenal could never recover, despite being given hope by Theo Walcott's tidy finish 11 minutes from time.

Walcott had been rested for the game and started on the bench along with Petr Cech, Nacho Monreal and Francis Coquelin while Aaron Ramsey and Hector Bellerin - supposedly both perfectly fit - watched on television from London.

The hole left by Coquelin's absence was particularly noticeable and highlighted why so many of the club's fans wanted Wenger to sign another defensive midfielder over the summer to either back-up or rival the Frenchman.

Wenger claimed before kick-off that he was replacing them with players of equal quality in the likes of David Ospina, Mikel Arteta and Kieran Gibbs.

He was proven wrong on the kind of night that will have Wenger reaching for the cigarettes he used to smoke on the bench in his early days as a manager with Monaco.

It was a selection that showed a lack of respect to the competition and Dinamo. Let's be honest, Wenger thought it would be a walkover but instead gifted a first Champions League win since 1999 to a team that played with speed and imagination that Arsenal couldn't match.

Why did Wenger feel he could get away with making so many changes when tournament favourites Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich all played full-strength sides in their Champions League openers?

It leaves Arsenal already playing catch up and under huge pressure to compensate by at least returning from Stamford Bridge with a point on Saturday.

And it's an experiment that, having spectacularly backfired, Wenger surely won't be trying again.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Muller shines once again as Bayern muddle on

Bayern Munich’s opening game of the new Champions League campaign wasn’t exactly one to remember. On a sweltering evening in the Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus, Pep Guardiola’s side escaped with all three points thanks to a 3-0 win over Olympiacos, but it was anything but a convincing performance.

Although the result may suggest a clear, confident win for the German champions it was a match that constantly threatened to upset the status quo. In a manner not too different from Bayern’s start to the Bundesliga season, it was a case of Guardiola’s side passing the ball around for 90 minutes before Thomas Muller showed up with the all important goal.

The German international struck twice on the night to bring his current tally for the season to 11 in just seven matches for both club and country. Bayern may still be stuck in first gear but this irregular striker is in the form of his life.

Olympiacos manager Marco Silva would have been proud of the manner in which his side managed to keep within touching distance of Bayern over the course of the first half, yet it was in the 52nd minute that Muller finally made his mark.

In almost typical fashion the goal came from a cross-turned-shot that saw Muller’s attempted ball in for Robert Lewandowski float over Roberto’s head and nestle in the back of the net.

The German forward celebrated with a fit of laughter and disbelief yet not a soul in the ground was surprised at all. This kind of luck - or skill, more often than not - is what has made the 26-year-old a Bundesliga, DFB Pokal, Champions League and World Cup champion.

If the scoreline had stayed as it was at that point and Bayern had escaped from Greece with just a goal to their name, it would have been the third time a Muller goal had won all three points for Guardiola’s side this season.

Ultimately the Bavarian giants would add two more to their tally when Mario Gotze finished off a late counter attack before Muller stepped up to grab a second from the penalty spot in injury time. Olympiacos had thrown caution to the wind and gone looking for an equaliser but were ultimately punished by a better side.

Bayern hadn’t won an away game in the Champions League in their last four attempts ahead of Wednesday's game, so in a sense Guardiola would be right to be content with all three points. Yet for many Bayern fans this was just another average performance in a new season that has been far from convincing.

Saturday’s 2-1 victory over Augsburg wasn’t assured until a last minute goal, much like the 90th minute winner against Hoffenheim two weeks prior. Add to that defeat to Wolfsburg in the DFB Super Cup at the start of the campaign and there are already a number of warning signs for Guardiola’s side.

Yet for now Bayern keep on winning ugly and picking up the points they need to continue moving forward. Guardiola’s squad haven’t clicked yet but fortunately Muller continues to be on hand to pick up the slack.