..::Football III::..

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Bale set to be fit for Clasico despite Wales absence

Wales boss Chris Coleman has suggested Gareth Bale will be fit in time for El Clasico on November 21 despite not being selected for the friendly with Netherlands in Cardiff.

Bale is not in the squad for the friendly at Cardiff City Stadium on November 13, with Arsenal's Aaron Ramsey also not selected, as the pair recover from calf and hamstring problems respectively.

Madrid forward Bale limped out of his side's 3-0 win over Levante in the first game back following the international break, in which he helped Wales qualify for Euro 2016.

And Coleman explained it was a case of not wishing to gamble on Bale's fitness rather than anything more concerning.

"I think, having [had] the correspondence with Madrid, he'll probably figure in the next game for them [after the international break] I would imagine," he explained.

"But they want to use this time wisely and carefully and get him up to speed. We respect that.

"Gareth also wants to do what's right. It's not in our nature to take risks with players."

Bale is likely to be involved against Barca in the first Clasico of the season at the Santiago Bernabeu - the rivals currently level on points at the top of La Liga.

On Sunday, Bale posted a picture of his return to training on Twitter with the message: "Back on the pitch stepping up my rehab!"

 

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Pochettino drops Townsend from Tottenham first team

Mauricio Pochettino has warned Andros Townsend he must learn about behaviour and discipline after dropping the winger from Tottenham's squad to face Anderlecht following an argument with the club's fitness coach.

England star Townsend was pictured apparently arguing and shrugging off Nathan Gardiner when warming down following Tottenham's 3-1 victory over Aston Villa in the Premier League on Monday, a match in which he was an unused substitute.

The 24-year-old will now sit out Thursday's Europa League clash against Anderlecht while it remains to be seen if he will be considered for selection in this weekend's north London derby against Arsenal.

And Pochettino issued some strong words of warning following Townsend's indiscretion.

"Because of [the incident on] Monday, he is not available for selection," he said ahead of Thursday's Group J clash at White Hart Lane.

"When you behave in the wrong way, you always need to pay. Discipline is very important to me.

"We have a young squad who can make mistakes but when you cross the limit it's important to stop that.

"Sometimes when you don't play as much as you expect, I can understand it, but it's not the way to impress the manager.

"He needs to learn about football, which isn't just playing the game. He needs to learn about behaviour, discipline. You need to have the responsibility of a professional.

"If Andros Townsend is in the squad, it means we believe in him and that he can give us good things. After that, it is up to the player to show me I am wrong."

 

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Di Maria: Madrid sold me to cover costs

Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Angel Di Maria says he left Real Madrid to join Manchester United last year because the Spanish side wanted to "cover costs" accrued by signing other players.

The Argentine helped Madrid win La Decima by starring in the club's Champions League final win against Atletico in May 2014, but left the Santiago Bernabeu for Old Trafford just three months later before moving again to PSG last summer.

Di Maria impressed on his return to the Bernabeu on Tuesday night as he hit the woodwork twice but ended up on the losing side as PSG lost 1-0.

And the 27-year-old, who recently admitted he didn't want to leave Madrid in the first place, explained his departure after the game on Tuesday.

"I didn't leave for money," he said in the mixed zone after the game. "I wanted to see if I could renew and they didn't want me to. They wanted to cover the costs of the great players they had signed that summer."

Madrid brought in James Rodriguez for €80 million after the World Cup, while Toni Kroos also joined in a €25m deal. With the season already underway, Di Maria departed for a fee in the region of €75m.

"I had to leave by the back door," he said. "It wasn't how I would have wanted."

Some 15 months on, the former Benfica winger is now settling in at the Parc des Princes and admits he is happy in his new surroundings.

"I am changing little by little," he said. "I'm happy in Paris and I hope to be for many years."

 

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Mahrez's agent plays down Manchester United rumours

Riyad Mahrez’s agent has rubbished reports the Leicester City midfielder has been in contact with Manchester United about a transfer.

The 24-year-old has scored seven goals in 10 Premier League outings and has created five more.

Along with England striker Jamie Vardy - who has now scored in eight consecutive league games - his performances have been responsible for leading Claudio Ranieri’s to third place in the league table.

That form has inevitably caught the eye and Mahrez has been linked with a move to Old Trafford.

However, Kamel Bengougam has told ESPN FC there is nothing in the reports suggesting the Algerian international could leave Leicester.

"I don't have any contact with Manchester United about Mahrez," Bengougam claimed.
"He is only focused on this season with Leicester City."

Mahrez joined the Foxes in 2014 from Le Harve and helped them win promotion to England’s top flight from the Championship.

Last season, his first in the Premier League, he contributed four goals and three assists as Leicester produced a remarkable recovery to avoid relegation.

 

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Herrera: Rooney still important if he does not score

Manchester United midfielder Ander Herrera has expressed his admiration for Wayne Rooney and has stressed the attacker is important for the team regardless of whether he scores or not.

Rooney has been struggling to find his best form this campaign and has received his fair share of criticism in recent weeks following his profligacy in front of goal.

Nevertheless, the England international helped United to a vital 1-0 Champions League win over CSKA Moscow on Tuesday with a fine header and Herrera has nothing but praise for his team-mate.

"Of course there was relief, but Wayne is one of our most important players. He's our leader, our captain, and we're happy when he scores. When he doesn't score, he fights for the team and that helps a lot as well," Herrera told the official United website.

"He's very important, and I think he has a very strong mind. When he doesn't score, he keeps fighting in the same way, and that's important for us.

"I always say the same: he's one of the best players in the world, one of the stars, and he's not selfish. For us, it's very important when he feels good. When he scores, of course it's better for everyone, but if not he still fights.

"I can only say what I see, and what I see is that he gives everything. We say the same thing every day: he does a lot of things for the club and the team. Of course he's one of the best in the world, his trajectory is unbelievable.

"The way he fights, the way he trains and the way he gives his opinion to the other players. Maybe those on the outside only see what's on the pitch, but he's also very important off it."

Rooney has scored seven goals in 17 appearances in all competitions for United this term.

 

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Benzema not involved in Valbuena sex tape blackmail - lawyer

Karim Benzema's legal representative has stressed that the Real Madrid star was not involved in an alleged attempt to extort Mathieu Valbuena using a sex tape, after he was questioned by police on Wednesday.

The 27-year-old was brought in for questioning by French police in Versailles, reportedly over his familiarity with the group thought to be behind an alleged attempt to blackmail Valbuena.

And Benzema's lawyer has insisted the player merely put himself at the police's disposal to assist with their investigation.

"Karim wishes to put an end to all the polemics that have emerged following this case, in which he has played no part whatsoever," lawyer Sylvain Cormier told AFP.

"When his name first emerged in the press, Karim immediately made it clear that he was standing at the disposal of investigators.

"Karim went to Versailles to answer some questions, but he has absolutely not done anything wrong. He has nothing to hide.

"He is happy and quite satisfied to be able to finally end this painful controversy."

Benzema is the second high-profile name to report to the police over the case after former France international Djibril Cisse was questioned before being released without charge.

 

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Former Manchester United striker Andy Cole recovering from kidney failure

Former Manchester United striker Andy Cole has revealed he is recovering from kidney failure suffered in June.

Cole - who was part of United's treble-winning side of the 1998-99 season - scored 187 goals in 414 Premier League appearances during his career.

The 44-year-old was scheduled to participate in the UNICEF Match for Children at Old Trafford on November but has been forced to withdraw from the charity game as he recovers from kidney failure.

"In June of this year I suffered kidney failure, caused as a result of contracting an airborne virus and I have been under medical care ever since," Cole said in a statement.

"I was admitted to hospital and diagnosed with a condition called Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis.

"During this time I have been unable to work or to carry out my normal day to day activities and I am under close supervision from the renal team at the Manchester Royal Infirmary.

"However, the good news is that I am feeling better as each day passes and the consultant is hopeful that I will make a full recovery by next spring.

"The messages of support from the fans have been gratefully received and wherever possible, I will continue my role as Manchester United Ambassador and would like to thank the club for their continued support during this time."

 

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De Boer anticipates 'extra motivated' Van Persie after Dutch snub

Ajax coach Frank de Boer believes Fenerbahce striker Robin van Persie will be extra motivated for Thursday's Europa League clash in Amsterdam after being dropped from the Netherlands squad.

Van Persie was left out of the Dutch party to face Wales and Germany this month, with Netherlands coach Danny Blind not convinced by the striker's match fitness following his move to Turkey in July.

Former Netherlands captain Van Persie was also stripped of the national team armband after Blind replaced Guus Hiddink and was involved in their dismal qualification campaign as the Dutch missed out on Euro 2016.

And De Boer believes the 32-year-old has a point to prove, as the former Netherlands coach told a media conference: "Now he will be extra motivated against us.

"Van Persie is a good and often dangerous player. He can always make the difference so we need to keep him in check."

Back-to-back draws with Celtic and Molde followed by defeat to Fener in Turkey have left Ajax on the verge of elimination from Group A.

Fernandao's late winner in Istanbul a fortnight ago means De Boer is well aware of the need to pick up points at home in this week's reverse fixture.

"We have to win against Fenerbahce, otherwise it will be almost impossible to reach the next round," he added.

"If everything goes well, we can also get very far in Europe. But first let's focus on the group stage.

"Fener will play very compact and we have to do that as well. But PSV showed us [in their 2-0 Champions League win against Wolfsburg on Tuesday] that a Dutch club can be very successful in Europe."

 

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Klopp rules out Gerrard loan return to Liverpool

Jurgen Klopp has confirmed that Steven Gerrard will not be returning to Liverpool on loan over the Christmas period.

Reports have suggested that Klopp is open to the idea of bringing back Liverpool’s former captain on a temporary deal from LA Galaxy until the middle of January.

And while Klopp admits he has been in contact with the 35-year-old, he insists the midfielder will only be able to train with the team.

"All I can say is that I've had contact with Stevie - one phone call and a few messages,” said the Liverpool manager.

"He is a legend. If he's in Liverpool and wants to train ahead of next season in LA that's absolutely no problem. Nothing else."

 

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Tuchel: Dortmund won't use weakened team

Thomas Tuchel insists he will not rest any Borussia Dortmund players for their Europa League meeting with Qabala , despite Sunday's derby match Schalke .

Dortmund have taken seven points from their opening three fixtures and could qualify for the knockout round if they win on Thursday and Krasnodar defeat PAOK.

The Signal Iduna Park outfit moved to within five points of Bayern Munich last week and face local rivals Schalke in the Bundesliga three days later, but the coach maintains he will select his best available team for their European tie.

"We are aware of the importance of Sunday, but before that our full concentration is on a top performance on Thursday," Tuchel said.

"It is not fully decided yet who will play against Qabala. The players who will play will have earned their start. We will not start anyone for tactical reasons ahead of Sunday.

"Whoever wears the Dortmund shirt on Thursday must be willing to play with everything they have."

Qabala sit bottom of Group C with one point, but Tuchel wants to avoid complacency as he feels the experience of playing at Signal Iduna Park could lift the Azeri side.

"Victory at Qabala was not a foregone conclusion. We must be alert again," he added.

"We want to be dominant, but also need patience because we expect a compact, defensive opponent.

"We expect Qabala to be lifted by the stage. It's a great experience to play here – we want our fans to feel our team's.

 

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Sneijder: Only Mourinho can turn Chelsea's form around

Galatasaray midfielder Wesley Sneijder believes Jose Mourinho is the only manager capable of turning Chelsea's fortunes around.

Sneijder won the Champions League with the Portuguese boss at Inter in 2010 and finished in fourth place in the voting for the Ballon d'Or the same year.

And the Dutchman has backed Mourinho to continue fighting at Stamford Bridge, adding that he deserves more respect for the success he has enjoyed prior to the current season.

"It is always difficult when you are losing games and your players are struggling," Sneijder said according to O Jogo.

"But the way I know Mourinho, he will fight and get back on top. That is the reason why Chelsea have not fired him. He is the only person who can turn the situation around.

"I am surprised that people are questioning him. It is incredible. Mourinho deserves a lot more respect.

"People seem to like it when he is not doing well. He has done nothing but good work at all clubs where he has worked. He deserves respect.

"Mourinho will bounce back. Don't write him off. He is not just a good coach, but a good person as well."

 

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Terry: Every Chelsea player is 100% behind Mourinho

John Terry insists every Chelsea player is 100 per cent behind Jose Mourinho and has hit out at “ridiculous” reports of unrest in the team.

Mourinho has presided over Chelsea’s worst start to a season for 37 years as the champions currently sit 15th in the Premier League after six defeats from 11 games.

The Chelsea manager has also been forced to deny a claim that a player said he’d “rather lose than win”, while other reports suggest that the Portuguese’s relationship with several players, including Eden Hazard and Cesc Fabregas, has deteriorated.

“It’s a tough experience for us all at the moment, players, the club, the fans. For me, I’m an experienced player, I’ve been around the block a little bit and the only way we come out of this is by sticking together,” Terry told BT Sport.

“Firstly the players put their hands up, we are to blame for it, for sure. The manager comes under fire for our bad performances but it’s unfair on him because the group of players are big enough to put their hands up and say we’ve not been playing no where near [the level] we were last year.

“There’s a lot of focus on a group at the moment. We’re having to deal with outside rumours and ridiculous stories that there’s unrest in the camp, players are unhappy, I can tell you now I’m in the dressing room, I’m on the training field daily - the players are fully behind the manager. We’re to blame, I sit here speaking on behalf of the players, we’ve not been good enough, and it’s down to us to get us out of this hole we’ve got ourselves in.

“When you’re dealing with stories, a source of a source, a friend of a friend, me arguing with Diego [Costa] two months ago, and there’s unrest in the camp and other layers fighting, it’s ridiculous. And the fact we even have to come out as a group and bat things any, and deny things all the time, it just gets ridiculous.

“Speaking as the captain of this football club, 100 per cent we’re behind the manager. He’s the best by far. We want to see him here not just this season, next season and the year after that whether I’m here or other players are here in the future, he’s the right man to take this club and give us stability in the future.”

 

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Barcelona 3-0 BATE: Neymar and Suarez take Catalans to victory

Luis Suarez scored either side of a Neymar double as Barcelona cruised to a 3-0 Champions League victory over BATE at Camp Nou.

The Barca duo have now scored 18 of the club's last 21 goals in all competitions, but with Roma defeating Bayer Leverkusen 3-2 in Group E's other match they must wait to book a place in the last 16.

Suarez and Neymar passed up early openings before Marc-Andre ter Stegen did well to stop the Belarusian side taking a shock lead by keeping out a free-kick from Igor Stasevich.

The introduction of Munir El Haddadi - replacing the injured Ivan Rakitic - proved the difference as he won a penalty that Neymar converted on the half-hour mark.

Adriano hit the post 10 minutes before half-time, but Suarez added the second - his ninth in his last eight Barca appearances in all competition - in the 60th minute with a low strike from the edge of the box.

Suarez then hit the upright before Neymar rounded off the scoring with seven minutes remaining in a comfortable win for Luis Enrique's side.

Barca instantly took control of possession and Suarez missed a chance to put them ahead inside four minutes when he stabbed wide following Neymar's clipped throughball.

But it was Barca goalkeeper Ter Stegen who had to make the first save when he parried a venomous 20-yard free kick from Stasevich away from the bottom corner in the 17th minute.

Luis Enrique lost Rakitic to injury soon after and replacement Munir made an immediate impact.

After being denied a simple finish by a clearance from Nemanja Milunovic, Munir earned his side a penalty when he went to ground following contact with Filip Mladenovic and Neymar rolled the spot-kick home in composed fashion in the 30th minute.

Barca came close to doubling their advantage five minutes later when a lovely pass from Andres Iniesta picked out Adriano's run into the box, but the defender's effort went behind off the base of the post.

The Catalan side were relentless in their search for a second, Dani Alves rifling wide and Neymar heading narrowly over in first-half stoppage time.

Chances continued to flow after the interval, with a great save from Sergei Chernik stopping Suarez converting at the back post six minutes after the restart.

The BATE goalkeeper was unable to deny Suarez on the hour mark, though, as the Uruguayan took Neymar's pass away from Milunovic with a great first touch and fired into the bottom corner.

Ex-Barca midfielder Aleksandr Hleb was introduced for BATE following the goal, but the they showed no extra adventure and, after a Chernik save denied Neymar, Suarez rattled the upright from the Brazilian's cross.

BATE sat deep, but were unable to see out the remainder of the game without conceding again, Neymar slotting into a gaping net following a swift break led by Suarez to add gloss to the result in the 83rd minute.

 

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Roma 3-2 Bayer Leverkusen: Pjanic saves Giallorossi from the spot

Miralem Pjanic earned Roma a crucial 3-2 win over 10-man Bayer Leverkusen in Wednesday's Champions League encounter at the Stadio Olimpico by converting a penalty with 10 minutes to go.

Having led 2-0 at the break through Mohamed Salah and Edin Dzeko, Roma were pegged back early in the second half by quickfire strikes from Admir Mehmedi and Javier Hernandez.

But as the matched headed towards a draw which would have done little for Roma's hopes of progressing from Group E, an almighty goalmouth scramble led to Omer Toprak shoving Salah as the Egyptian prepared to score.

Toprak was shown a straight red card, and Pjanic kept his cool to convert the penalty and provide Roma's qualification hopes with a huge boost.

The win sees Roma climb to second spot in the group with five points from four games, one point ahead of Leverkusen.

Rudi Garcia's side face the daunting task of heading to reigning champions Barcelona on matchday five, while Leverkusen travel to bottom club BATE.

Roma started the match brilliantly and needed only two minutes to open the scoring after a quick counter-attack. Dzeko set up Salah with a fine pass and the Egypt international squeezed the ball underneath Leverkusen goalkeeper Bernd Leno.

Hernandez should have levelled the scoring in the 14th minute when he beat the offside trap after a free-kick from Hakan Calhanoglu, yet the former Manchester United man failed to properly get his foot to the ball and tapped it wide from close range.

Dzeko doubled the Serie A side’s lead in the 29th minute after some fine work from Radja Nainggolan. The Belgium international lost his marker in midfield before setting up the ex-Manchester City striker with a fine pass and Dzeko found the net with a calm finish.

Dzeko should have effectively put the match to bed 60 seconds later when Salah set him up, but he blazed over from 10 yards.

Hernandez again looked dangerous for the visitors five minutes before the interval when he beat his marker to a Giulio Donati cross, but Wojciech Szczesny comfortably collected his acrobatic attempt.

Leverkusen pulled one back early in the first minute of the second half, though, when Mehmedi curled home after being teed up Kevin Kampl.

The Bundesliga outfit did not stop there and restored parity in the 51st minute. Karim Bellarabi found Hernandez inside the area and the Mexican striker beat Szczesny with a right-footed shot in the far corner.

Leverkusen continued to dominate proceedings and nearly grabbed the lead on the hour-mark via Mehmedi, only for the Roma goalkeeper to deny the attacker with a fine save.

Roma felt they should have been awarded a penalty when Dzeko went to the ground inside the area in the 63rd minute, yet referee Sergei Karasev waved play on.

However, the official had no other option but to give Garcia's men a spot-kick when Toprak fouled Salah on the goalline and Pjanic stepped up to shoot underneath Leno and gift Roma the full three points.

 

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Maccabi Tel-Aviv 1-3 Porto: Lopetegui’s men stay top with comfortable win

Porto turned on the style with a classy 3-1 victory at Maccabi Tel-Aviv on Wednesday that left them on the brink of the Champions League knockout stages.

The visitors deservedly led at the end of a dominant first half in the Group G encounter at the Sammy Ofer Stadium with on-loan Barcelona winger Cristian Tello squeezing home the opener in the 19th minute.

Andre Andre, who set up Tello's opener, headed home the second shortly after the break and Miguel Layun's well-taken finish made sure of the points.

Eran Zahavi scored Maccabi's first goal of the competition from the penalty spot, but the Israeli champions were well beaten and can no longer qualify from the group.

Porto were excellent value for the win and Vincent Aboubakar and Evandro were guilty of missing glaring chances in either half.

It mattered little, though, and Julen Lopetegui's side can make the round of 16 with a draw against Dynamo Kiev next time out.

Aboubakar went close twice in the early stages, first forcing Predrag Rajkovic into a brilliant flying save with a stinging 25-yard effort, before blazing over when the keeper parried Layun's low drive.

Tal Ben Haim II was a lively presence for the hosts and he cut in from the right before hitting a low drive that drew a smart stop from Iker Casillas.

From the resulting corner, Ben Haim II missed a great chance when he headed wide inside the six-yard box after Zahavi's cross was flicked to the back post.

And that miss proved costly as Porto went ahead in the 19th minute. Andre sprayed the ball to Tello in acres of space on the left and he took a touch into the area before poking past Rajkovic.

It should have been 2-0 before the break when Tello burst free down the right and unselfishly squared for Aboubakar, who inexplicably blazed his shot against the outside of the post with the goal gaping.

There was no change in pattern after the break and Porto doubled the lead in the 49th minute.

Maxi Pereira hung up a brilliant cross from the right byline and Andre crept in from the left to head home at the far post.

Maccabi tried to mount some pressure and Casillas responded well to his poor kick by saving Zahavi's one-on-one effort, and from the resulting corner the same man hit a fierce volley that the Spain goalkeeper parried brilliantly.

Porto missed a great chance to make it three when the ball fell kindly to Evandro after Rajkovic saved Tello's effort, but he fired wildly over the crossbar.

But the points were wrapped up when Tello teed up Layun in the area and he checked inside before curling into the right-hand corner.

Pereira was penalised for a body check on Zahavi shortly afterwards and he picked himself up to beat Casillas low to the left.

It was a mere blip for Porto, though, and Aboubakar almost added further gloss in the closing stages with a fierce effort that rebounded off the bar.

 

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Bayern Munich 5-1 Arsenal: Demolition in Germany leaves Gunners on the brink

Bayern Munich cruised to a 5-1 victory over Arsenal at the Allianz Arena to leave the Gunners on the brink of elimination from the Champions League.

Arsenal ended Bayern's 12-match winning run with a 2-0 triumph at Emirates Stadium two weeks ago, but there was little prospect of a repeat from the moment Robert Lewandowski opened the scoring after 10 minutes.

Mesut Ozil had a close-range effort ruled out for handball before Pep Guardiola's team established total dominance of the match.

Thomas Muller doubled the lead with a deflected shot and David Alaba scored a stunning long-range third to round off a first-half masterclass.

Full-back Alaba turned provider for Arjen Robben in the 54th minute, with the winger netting 37 seconds after coming on as a substitute to put the result beyond doubt.

Olivier Giroud hit a fine 69th-minute consolation before Muller restored Bayern's four-goal cushion with his second of the game in the last minute.

Bayern are on the verge of progressing to the knockout phase but anything less than victories over Dinamo Zagreb and Olympiacos - coupled with a Bayern victory over the Greek side - will see Arsenal eliminated.

Arsene Wenger was without defenders Hector Bellerin and Laurent Koscielny, with the latter restricted to a place on the bench after picking up a hip injury.

The Frenchman's absent was felt when his replacement, Gabriel, dropped too deep to deal with Thiago's cross and allowed Lewandowski to direct a header past Petr Cech.

Arsenal initially responded well and thought they had equalised through Ozil, but the midfielder was adjudged to have bundled home Nacho Monreal's cross with his arm.

From that point Bayern took total control and Cech was called upon twice in quick succession to deny Kingsley Coman and Lewandowski.

The inevitable second goal arrived after 29 minutes. Coman's mishit effort from a Philipp Lahm cross was controlled by Muller, who scuffed a left-footed shot that deflected off Mertesacker into the bottom corner.

Cech then rushed out to thwart Lewandowski and Douglas Costa flashed a ball across goal that only required a touch.

A reflex stop by the former Chelsea goalkeeper denied Muller a second before half-time but he was rooted to the spot when Alaba bullied Santi Cazorla off the ball and curled a sumptuous strike into the top corner.
The sight of Coman making way for Robben early in the second half suggested there would be no let-up for Arsenal and sure enough, the Netherlands star peeled away from Gabriel to slam Alaba's cutback into the roof of the net with his first touch.

On a rare Arsenal attack Cazorla burst clear of the Bayern defence but shot wastefully at Manuel Neuer.

Wenger's men did get a goal back when Giroud brilliantly chested down and converted Alexis Sanchez's cross on the turn – his seventh goal in as many matches for club and country.

Cazorla then missed again from close range before Bayern scored the fifth their performance deserved, with Costa surging forward on the break to tee up Muller for his second in the final minute.

 

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Chelsea 2-1 Dynamo Kiev: Late Willian stunner gives Mourinho vital win

Willian scored a brilliant late free-kick to give Chelsea a much-needed 2-1 victory over Dynamo Kiev in the Champions League, and earn under-fire Jose Mourinho some breathing space.

Aleksandar Dragovic had diverted the Brazilian's cross into his own net late in the first half, but the Ukrainian side made it a nervous second period for the hosts, and they looked to have grabbed a shock point when the defender atoned for his own goal by netting a late equaliser.

But, with seven minutes remaining, Willian intervened in some style to give Chelsea a potentially crucial three points, much to the delight of the Stamford Bridge crowd.

The win will come as a huge relief to Mourinho, who had overseen only one win in Chelsea's previous eight games in all competitions and was once again the subject of plenty of headlines in the build-up, amid speculation over his future and talk of dressing room unrest.

The fans, though, have rarely wavered in their support of the Portuguese and he was consistently cheered by the home supporters throughout Wednesday's match.

Victory moves Chelsea up to second place in Group G, three points behind leaders Porto but two clear of Kiev going into the final two games.

Mourinho made three changes to his team in a bid to improve their recent fortunes, with Gary Cahill, Eden Hazard and John Obi Mikel dropping out as Cesc Fabregas, Nemanja Matic and Baba Rahman came in.

Ramires had an early effort saved, before Oscar also warmed the hands of Oleksandr Shovkovskiy with a decent attempt after running on to Cesar Azpilicueta's cross.

Chelsea had most of the possession but struggled to create clear-cut opportunities prior to making a fortunate breakthrough in the 34th minute.

Rahman switched the play out to Willian on the right and the Brazilian's powerful cross was headed into his own net by a diving Dragovic.

Diego Costa and Mourinho were irate on the stroke of half-time as the hosts were denied a penalty. The Spain international showed great strength to run between centre-backs Yevhen Khacheridi and Dragovic before going down in the penalty area under pressure from the Austrian, with referee Pavel Kralovec waving Costa to get up, as his manager protested on the touchline.
Having made little impact going forward in the first half, Kiev made a brighter start to the second.

Kurt Zouma made a brilliant last-ditch challenge to deny Artem Kravets as he prepared to shoot, while Andriy Yarmolenko saw an effort deflected wide.

Willian had a close-range header saved at the other end, before the visitors had a penalty shout of their own. Derlis Gonzalez had a shot blocked by Ramires six yards out, but the referee disagreed with their claims of handball.

Substitute Junior Moraes then pounced on a mistake from Matic to force Asmir Begovic into a diving save, but Chelsea were soon ruing not putting the result beyond doubt. Willian's free-kick from the right landed at Zouma's feet two yards out, but the defender somehow failed to find the target.

Mourinho's men went close again when Oscar saw his left-footed shot impressively tipped away by Shovkovskiy after the attacker had been found by Fabregas' pass.

Those missed chances proved almost costly for Chelsea, with Kiev netting a shock equaliser with 13 minutes left. Begovic and Matic failed to clear a corner and Dragovic smashed home a shot that deflected in off John Terry at the far post.

With another game apparently slipping away, Mourinho threw on Pedro and Hazard in an attempt to force victory, and his side found a priceless winner with seven minutes remaining.

Belgium international Hazard won a free-kick 25 yards from goal and Willian did the rest, sending an excellent set piece into the top corner to become the hosts' top scorer this season with five, and give Mourinho a huge lift.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Gent 1-0 Valencia: Kums penalty gives hosts crucial win

A penalty from Sven Kums secured Gent's first-ever win in the Champions League, as they defeated a disappointing Valencia 1-0 at Ghelamco Arena.

The Belgian side kept alive their hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages with a well-deserved victory over their Group H rivals.

Captain Kums was the hero for the hosts, converting a 49th-minute penalty that was awarded after Valencia defender Antonio Barragan had blocked a cross with his arm.

The result means Valencia missed out on the opportunity to join Zenit, who defeated Lyon 2-0, in going through to the knockout stages.

Gent merited their maiden triumph, and the final margin of victory would have been even greater had they not been so wasteful in front of goal.

They did everything but score in an opening half they completely dominated.

Danijel Milicevic saw a looping header from Kenneth Saief's cross hit the right-hand post, strike the back of Valencia goalkeeper Jaume Domenech and then roll along the goal line.

If the hosts were unfortunate on that occasion, they deserved little sympathy when Brecht Dejaegere somehow failed to hit the target after 26 minutes.

Left unmarked, the Gent player had only Domenech to beat from six yards out. However, his downward header ended up bouncing up over the crossbar.
Sloppy in possession and shaky at the back, Valencia failed to even have a shot at goal in the first 45 minutes.

They had to improve as an attacking force once Kums had broken the deadlock from the spot, punishing Barragan for blocking Saief's cross with an outstretched hand.

Yet the surge for an equaliser never really materialised. Coach Nuno summoned Joao Cancelo and Andre Gomes from the bench, yet the substitutes failed to lift the lethargic visitors.

Paco Alcacer's low shot from the left forced Matz Sels into a rare save on what was an otherwise easy night for the Gent goalkeeper.

Despite the defeat, a fourth in their last five away games in all competitions, Valencia still sit second in the table on six points.

They travel next to Zenit, while Gent make the short trip to France to face a Lyon side whose qualification hopes are hanging by a thread.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Lyon 0-2 Zenit: Dzyuba double sends visitors through

Artyom Dzyuba stole the show as Zenit moved into the last 16 of the Champions League with a 2-0 win at Lyon, where both sides had a man sent off.

Dzyuba, who also scored in the reverse fixture, hit both goals at Stade Gerland on Wednesday to ensure the Russians maintained their 100 per cent record in Group H, which is propped up by winless Lyon.

Zenit, 3-1 winners over the Ligue 1 side on home soil, headed into the fixture knowing victory would secure their spot in the competition's next phase with two games remaining.

And the visitors came flying out of the blocks as Hulk's cross paved the way for Dzyuba to open the scoring midway through the opening half.

Lyon responded impressively, yet were left to rue a series of missed opportunities when Hulk fed his strike partner for a second in the 57th minute.

There was more drama to come as both sides were reduced to 10 men, with Maxime Gonalons shown red for the hosts before Zenit's Aleksandr Anyukov also received a second yellow card.

But neither dismissal impacted the outcome, with Zenit virtually guaranteeing they will end as Group H winners, while Lyon need to win their final two fixtures to have even the faintest hope of progressing.

The visitors were handed a boost before the game kicked off, with Andre Villas-Boas able to call upon star striker Hulk following injury.

Zenit almost went ahead in the 16th minute, as a marauding run by Domenico Criscito ended with a fine cross that Anthony Lopes parried into the path of Dzyuba. However, the forward's subsequent effort was blocked on the goal line by Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa.

That seemed to awaken Lyon, who created a good opening of their own soon after when Sergi Darder was denied by Yuri Lodigin.

The game took on an end-to-end nature and Zenit seized the initiative in the 25th minute.
Hulk was the orchestrator, standing up his defender before creating an angle and sliding a fine pass to Dzyuba - who curled into an empty net.

Lyon continued to look a threat, however, and should have equalised when Corentin Tolisso curled just wide from 12 yards.

An even better chance went begging in the 32nd minute as Yanga-Mbiwa hit a sitter wide after Gonalons' effort had been pushed away by Lodigin.

Lyon continued to dominate thereafter, with Henri Bedimo striking narrowly over before Lodigin raced from his line to deny Tolisso from point-blank range.

They again almost levelled just before the interval, only for Darder's fizzing 25-yarder to fly narrowly wide.

The break appeared to halt the hosts' momentum as Zenit emerged reinvigorated for the second half.

And Lyon were hit by a sucker punch in the 57th minute when Hulk played a perfect throughball that Dzyuba poked beyond Lopes and into the net.

Hubert Fournier's men never posed the same threat following Gonalons' sending off, with Zenit almost grabbing a third as Lopes turned away Hulk's 25-yard free-kick.

The only negative for the away side was Anyukov's red card, although him serving his suspension in a game with little riding on it will doubtless please Villas-Boas.